Chapter 1439: Elder Tian
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Chapter 1437: Elder Tian
Xiao Ju stared blankly for a long while at the Earth Coffin Formation before her, which had swallowed the Golden Stone Mighty Warrior, then asked Mo Hua, “Did your experiment succeed?”
Mo Hua replied, “More or less.”
After saying this, Mo Hua looked at Xiao Ju and smiled gently, “Thanks to Xiao Ju’s help.”
Xiao Ju nodded happily, feeling quite proud.
In the field, a massive earth coffin stood tall.
Maintaining a Third-grade High-tier Formation continuously consumed Spirit stones.
At this moment, as the Earth Coffin Formation condensed, it was equivalent to Spirit stones flowing away like water.
“Cultivators really can’t do anything without Spirit stones,” Mo Hua shook his head and deactivated the Earth Coffin Formation through the Formation Pivot.
After the formation dissipated, the Golden Stone Mighty Warrior was freed.
Mo Hua said to Xiao Ju, “You can return this Golden Stone Mighty Warrior.”
Xiao Ju asked him, “You don’t need it anymore?”
Mo Hua said, “Not for now.”
Xiao Ju shook her head, “Not for now means you might still need it later. Why should I return it? If you need it next time, I’d have to steal it again… Stealing back and forth is quite troublesome.”
Mo Hua: “…That makes sense.”
Xiao Ju said, “Keep it for now. It’s broken anyway, and as long as you don’t slip up, True Person Rong won’t find out.”
Mo Hua said, “Alright.”
The experiment with the Twenty-Seven Runes Earth Coffin Formation was temporarily concluded.
Afterward, Mo Hua tidied up the site, mainly covering traces and setting up some simple formations around to conceal the Earth Coffin Formation and the Golden Stone Mighty Warrior, preventing them from being discovered.
Xiao Ju also helped with some miscellaneous tasks.
This counted as cleanup.
Afterward, both of them inspected the area once more, and finding no issues, they left.
Passing through the mountain path on their way back to the residence in the minor blessed land, when they reached a small hill, Xiao Ju hurriedly said, “Wait for me a moment.”
She rushed over to the hill again, looking left and right in the soil. Seeing no change, she hung her head and sighed.
Mo Hua walked up and asked, “Has the orange tree still not sprouted?”
Xiao Ju nodded and sighed, “Growing oranges is so hard.” She then asked Mo Hua, “Haven’t you found the formation for growing oranges yet?”
Mo Hua also sighed, “Finding formations isn’t easy either.”
Xiao Ju sighed, “Let’s take it slow.”
She watered the unsprouted orange tree with a bit of Spiritual Liquid before standing up and leaving with Mo Hua, repeatedly reminding him: “The orange tree is fine; True Person Rong won’t say anything. But the matter of the Superior-grade Spiritual Ink and the Golden Stone Mighty Warrior… if it’s not discovered, it’s fine. Once it’s discovered, True Person Rong will definitely be angry.”
“I’ll definitely keep my mouth shut, but I’m afraid you might slip up and let True Person Rong know. That would be troublesome.”
Mo Hua said, “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t slip up.”
Xiao Ju nodded, “That’s good.”
Afterward, the two returned to the courtyard. Having spent half the day busy with the Earth Coffin Formation experiment, they were both a bit tired.
Xiao Ju’s excitement had worn off, and she went back to sleep.
Mo Hua drank a cup of tea brewed by Xiao Ju and returned to the guest room.
In the simple and elegant guest room.
Mo Hua roughly summarized the day’s formation experiments, recording the advantages, disadvantages, and details of the Earth Coffin Formation, as well as the processes of drawing and setting up formations, in a Jade Slip.
He also noted down some insights related to Mechanical Arts.
His experience in artifact refining was shallow, and whether these insights into Mechanical Arts were correct would require further study and verification.
Understanding worldly affairs is all knowledge; any discipline related to array formations can be learned to some extent, serving as an expansion of one’s own formation applications.
Mo Hua had a premonition that Mechanical Arts would definitely prove highly useful in the future.
After spending about an hour summarizing, Mo Hua took a short rest and began studying a new array formation: The Twenty-Eight Runes Blazing Inferno Slaughter Formation.
The Blazing Inferno Slaughter Formation is a high-level fire-element killing formation at the Golden Core stage, with more intense and brutal formation patterns and a stronger intent to kill.
As a Third-Grade high-level killing formation, the power of twenty-eight runes is already an extremely formidable force at the Golden Core level.
Normally, its difficulty of comprehension is also exceptionally high.
The vast majority of Formation Masters at the Golden Core peak are hardly able to master such a formation.
However, Mo Hua was, after all, a “freak.”
He had already learned the Twenty-Seven Runes Earth Coffin Formation, and now, taking another step forward to learn the Twenty-Eight Runes Blazing Inferno Slaughter Formation wasn’t all that difficult for him.
Mo Hua spent one night roughly memorizing the formation patterns.
The next day, he comprehended the formation pivot.
That evening, he also grasped the internal spiritual power structure of the formation.
By midnight, he had practiced it dozens of times on the Dao Stele.
Thus, Mo Hua had pretty much learned this Twenty-Eight Runes Blazing Inferno Slaughter Formation.
As for how powerful this Twenty-Eight Runes, Late Golden Core Stage killing formation truly was, Mo Hua had no idea.
But no matter what, he still had to give it a try.
Another day passed, and Mo Hua went to the Fortune Pavilion to find Manager Zhao.
He wanted to inquire with Manager Zhao about the price of Third-Grade high-level Spirit Ink. If it was suitable, he intended to buy some fire-element Spirit Ink to test the power of the Blazing Inferno Slaughter Formation.
Third-Grade high-level Spirit Ink was not cheap. He also felt it inappropriate to have Xiao Ju steal it for him again.
Upon hearing this, Manager Zhao was startled: “Third-Grade high-level Spirit Ink? What do you need that for?”
Mo Hua replied, “I have a… senior who asked me to inquire about the market.”
“Senior?” Manager Zhao frowned for a moment, then suddenly looked at Mo Hua and asked, “Young Master Mo, are you… from the Great Void Sect?”
Mo Hua was slightly taken aback, but after thinking for a moment, although he hadn’t revealed his identity to Manager Zhao, he had disclosed quite a bit of information among the Kun Province Aristocratic Clans.
Manager Zhao, being in business, was well-informed, so it was normal for him to have learned some details about Mo Hua.
Mo Hua nodded and said, “That’s right.”
“I heard that you were once the Qianxue Formation Dao Champion?”
“Yes.”
“And I heard you shone brilliantly at the Grand Sword Debate Assembly back then?”
“Yes.”
“But then…” Manager Zhao frowned, deeply puzzled, “how did you end up in your current situation?”
Logically speaking, being a disciple of the Great Void Sect and the Qianxue Formation Dao Champion… these were such prestigious titles.
How could someone like that fall to the point of relying on a barely connected Fortune Pavilion manager like himself for support?
Mo Hua’s expression turned somewhat weathered as he modestly sighed, “It’s a long story… a true hero doesn’t boast about past glories. The brilliance of those days belongs to the past. The extraordinary talent during the Foundation Establishment stage is also long gone. Now, I’m just an ordinary cultivator with an Inferior-Grade Golden Core.”
Upon hearing this, Manager Zhao nodded slightly.
Foundation Establishment and Golden Core were indeed two different matters. The worlds inside and outside the sect were also entirely different realms.
It was not uncommon for someone who was exceptionally talented during their Foundation Establishment studies to become utterly ordinary upon reaching the Golden Core stage.
Life is never smooth sailing; there are always times of glory and times of hardship.
Manager Zhao had seen many people in his time, and he was no stranger to geniuses whose status seemed to “plummet” despite their cultivation breakthroughs.
However, Manager Zhao also felt that this Young Master Mo was definitely not telling the whole truth. The reason for his apparent “downfall” likely had something to do with other factors.
“Coming from a major sect, having a strong and domineering senior sister, being entangled with the willful and spoiled young lady of the Lu Clan…”
Wasn’t this a case of “playing both sides” and suffering the consequences?
Having made a mistake involving women, even his sect couldn’t easily protect him.
Manager Zhao glanced at Mo Hua again, particularly at his face, and thought to himself: Indeed, beauty is a curse—being good-looking can also be a trouble.
Unaware of Manager Zhao’s inner musings, Mo Hua simply asked, “Manager Zhao, do you have the goods here?”
Manager Zhao replied, “Yes, but they cannot be sold.”
Mo Hua was taken aback, his expression turning displeased.
Manager Zhao hurriedly explained, “Third-grade high-tier Spirit Ink is used to draw Third-grade high-tier Formations. And Third-grade high-tier Formations are no ordinary formations.”
“To put it bluntly, a large-scale Third-grade high-tier Formation could easily be used for indiscriminate ‘mass slaughter.'”
“This is strictly controlled material and cannot be sold casually. Who it is sold to and how much is sold must be strictly verified and recorded. If your status isn’t high enough or your background isn’t solid, even if you want to buy it, we wouldn’t dare sell it to you.”
Manager Zhao sighed.
Mo Hua frowned. He knew that once formations reached the Third-grade, especially the high-tier, they were entirely different.
But he hadn’t expected that even the Spirit Ink used to draw formations would be so strictly controlled.
Who exactly are they trying to guard against?
Since Spirit Ink was both expensive and tightly regulated, Mo Hua temporarily set aside the idea and bid farewell to Manager Zhao.
Just as he reached the staircase, he ran into someone coming down from upstairs.
This person wore a Kun Hexagram Symbol Robe and had a lean face—it was Elder Tian, whom he had met once before.
Elder Tian seemed to have been discussing business upstairs, but it likely hadn’t gone well, as his expression was somewhat unpleasant, with a hint of gloom in his eyes.
Manager Zhao, skilled at reading people, dared not provoke Elder Tian’s displeasure.
Mo Hua also clasped his hands in greeting.
Elder Tian’s gloomy gaze swept over Manager Zhao before settling on Mo Hua. His eyes immediately lit up, and a spark of vitality appeared on his face.
“Young Master Mo.”
Mo Hua nodded in greeting. “Elder Tian.”
Elder Tian asked, “Young Master Mo, have you finished your business here?”
Mo Hua nodded. “Yes.”
Elder Tian immediately said, “That’s perfect. I happen to have some free time. Would Young Master Mo honor me by joining me for a meal?”
Mo Hua was surprised.
Manager Zhao also looked bewildered.
Mo Hua nodded. “Alright.”
No reason to turn down a free meal.
Elder Tian then said, “Let’s go to the HóngYùn Pavilion then. Young Master Mo, please.”
Mo Hua replied, “Thank you, Elder Tian.”
Elder Tian glanced at Manager Zhao beside them and casually asked, “Manager Zhao, would you like to join us?”
Manager Zhao knew better than to intrude and hurriedly said, “Zhao is burdened with mundane matters and wouldn’t want to disturb you two esteemed guests.”
Elder Tian nodded and walked ahead without further ado.
After bidding farewell to Manager Zhao, Mo Hua followed Elder Tian out of the Fortune Pavilion and headed toward the nearby HóngYùn Pavilion.
Manager Zhao watched their departing figures, feeling puzzled.
“When did these two become so familiar?”
Inside the HóngYùn Pavilion…
Mo Hua was no stranger to this place, having treated Bai XiaoSheng to a meal of Spiritual Cuisine here last time.
To entertain Mo Hua, Elder Tian also ordered a table full of fine dishes. As an Earth Sect elder and a Third-Grade Formation Master, he naturally did not lack the Spirit stones for such a meal.
Mo Hua had initially thought that Elder Tian had sought him out for some serious matter, but it turned out he had overthought it.
This Elder Tian seemed genuinely interested in simply sharing a casual meal and discussing Array Formations with him.
At the table, after a few brief pleasantries, everyone began enjoying the food and wine.
After a while, as the atmosphere grew more relaxed, the conversation turned to Array Formations.
Mo Hua briefly shared some of his insights into the Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation, and Elder Tian was immediately astounded: “Young Master Mo, despite your youth… you possess such profound understanding?”
He had heard of Mo Hua’s reputation as the “Formation Master Champion,” but initially thought it was mostly empty fame, not taking it too seriously.
However, an expert reveals their skill with just a few words. After this brief exchange, Elder Tian realized that Mo Hua’s level was far beyond ordinary.
In return, Elder Tian shared some of his own insights into Third-Grade Formations, particularly focusing on his years of dedicated research and expertise in the Five Elements Earth System branch—specifically, Spiritual Plant Formations.
Mo Hua was equally astonished.
This Elder Tian happened to be an expert in Earth System Spiritual Plant Formations.
It had to be said, this was truly fate.
Afterward, the two spent the better part of the day discussing the Five Elements categories, variations in Formation Patterns, the flow lines of Formation Pivots, the construction of Formation Eyes, and various application techniques.
Unknowingly, they talked from noon until dusk.
Formation Masters could be quite simple at times. Those who could wholeheartedly delve into Array Formations tended to be relatively pure in nature.
It was only when dusk approached and the sky began to darken that Elder Tian reluctantly bid farewell to Mo Hua, filled with regret for not having met him sooner.
This feeling was especially strong after discovering that Mo Hua, despite only being at the early Golden Core stage, already possessed remarkable understanding of Third-Grade Formations.
“Next time we have the chance, we must dine together again, or perhaps just have tea. I would like to discuss the principles of generation and restraint, as well as the framework of Five Elements Formations, in more detail with you, Young Friend Mo.”
Mo Hua replied, “I also wish to seek more guidance from Elder Tian on the expansion and application of Spiritual Plant Formations.”
Elder Tian was delighted. “It’s a deal!”
Afterward, the two bid each other farewell.
Seeing that it was getting late, Elder Tian personally summoned an Earth Sect Carriage to take Mo Hua back to the minor blessed land.
Mo Hua thanked Elder Tian.
During the carriage ride back to the minor blessed land, Mo Hua continued to reflect on the many topics discussed with Elder Tian. He took out a Jade Slip and recorded these insights one by one.
Each field has its own specialization. In the path of Array Formations, even many smaller subcategories, when truly delved into, held profound knowledge.
And this Elder Tian was precisely such a “genius” in one of these smaller subcategories of formations.
While he might have been somewhat clumsy in the broader landscape of formations or in his general experience with them, he had delved incredibly deeply into his own specialized field of formations.
Mo Hua found this astonishing as well.
Indeed, when three walk together, one must be my teacher. By exchanging ideas with Formation Masters from all over the world, one could always learn more.
In this atmosphere of newfound knowledge, Mo Hua returned to the minor blessed land.
But as soon as he stepped out of the carriage, he felt something was off. The minor blessed land was unusually quiet, and Xiao Ju, who was usually noisy and lively, was nowhere to be heard.
Mo Hua found it strange and swept his Divine-Sense slightly, then understood something and walked straight to the White Jade Courtyard Residence.
In front of the courtyard, True Person Rong’s expression was icy. Xiao Ju stood before True Person Rong like a kitten that had done something wrong, looking pitiful and aggrieved, completely devoid of the domineering air she had when True Person Rong was away and she acted as the ruler of the mountain.
True Person Rong said coldly, “Speak. How much did you steal?”
Xiao Ju pursed her lips and said nothing.
Just then, Mo Hua walked in, and Xiao Ju immediately looked at him, her face full of pleading.
Unable to bear seeing the child suffer, Mo Hua said, “True Person, I was the one who told Xiao Ju to take the things. It’s not her fault.”
True Person Rong was slightly taken aback.
Xiao Ju’s eyes grew moist.
Honest and trustworthy Mo Hua actually dared to take the blame for her in front of the terrifying “mountain king” that was True Person Rong.
Xiao Ju was so moved she was almost in tears.