Chapter 1455: Fāngcùn Mountain
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Chapter 1453: Fāngcùn Mountain
Mo Hua asked Elder Tian with a calm and gentle expression, “When did you recognize me?”
Elder Tian looked at Mo Hua again. Even though he had confirmed that beneath the Ghost Mask was indeed the refined, diligent, and studious Young Master Mo he knew, he couldn’t help but feel astonished in his heart.
“From the moment you entered… I thought I had mistaken you and didn’t dare to think in that direction. Yet, I never imagined it was truly you, Young Master Mo.”
Elder Tian sighed.
After all… it was simply too unbelievable.
That harmless “Young Master Mo” would actually be mingling with tomb raiders and, with only Early Golden Core Stage cultivation, managed to outwit and kill a Late Golden Core Stage expert from the Shadow Division.
Recalling the entire battle now, Elder Tian still found it utterly bewildering.
First, he toyed with the powerful “prey” using spells and movement techniques, then seized the opportunity to lure the prey into an array formation trap. In an instant, he activated the formation, killing the prey.
The teasing and playing were merely setups and schemes; the true killing intent lay in that fleeting moment.
And in that single moment of killing intent, it was enough to eliminate a formidable enemy and turn the tide of the battle.
Patiently setting up the trap, enduring and maneuvering, then striking a fatal blow in one move.
This, perhaps, was the true essence of a formation master skilled in slaughter.
It was a nearly perfect demonstration of a Killing Formation in Elder Tian’s mind.
Yet, he never expected to witness all of this in the shockingly young Young-Master Mo.
(TN: One young is for age.)
Elder Tian felt a mix of emotions and asked again: “Young Master Mo, why have you come to this place?”
Mo Hua didn’t hide anything and answered truthfully, “Manager Zhao said you ‘suddenly fell ill and died.’ I was suspicious and went to investigate. When I couldn’t find any leads, I went to your residence to keep watch. Following the carriage, I ended up here.”
“But I couldn’t find the tomb entrance, so I called a few tomb raiders to form a team and come down to look for you.”
Elder Tian truly didn’t know what to say.
This Young Master Mo’s ability to take action was simply too remarkable.
Investigating, keeping watch, tracking, tomb raiding… he did whatever he set out to do, and the key was that he succeeded in all of it.
Even his deeply hidden tomb had been found by him.
Uncle Ping, standing nearby, also fell into self-doubt, muttering, “I was followed? How could I possibly have been followed?”
Elder Tian was about to say something else when he suddenly felt a surge of reversed qi and blood, coughing a few more times. His face grew even paler.
Seeing him in this state, Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask, “Elder Tian, are you… alive… or dead right now?”
Tián Mùshēng was taken aback for a moment before forcing a bitter smile. “Whether alive or dead, there’s no difference anymore.”
Mo Hua gazed deeply at Elder Tian and said slowly: “In other words… you are actually already dead. But before dying, you used some method to lock your own life-and-death causality, preserving some of your memories and Divine-Sense from when you were alive, allowing your Fate Pattern to continue briefly.”
Tián Mùshēng looked stunned. “How do you even know these things?”
Mo Hua replied, “I also have some understanding of causality.”
Tián Mùshēng looked at Mo Hua with a complicated expression, finally letting out a bitter laugh and murmuring: “I truly… have been blind and misjudged you.”
Mo Hua asked, “Is that so?”
Tián Mùshēng nodded and sighed, “More or less.”
Mo Hua asked again, “Then, are you relying on Little Ghosts to extend your life? That can’t be a righteous path, can it?”
Tián Mùshēng’s expression grew even more complicated.
Uncle Ping, standing nearby, solemnly said, “It was my own decision to use unorthodox Ghost Arts to extend Master Tian’s life.”
Tián Mùshēng shook his head. “Regardless, the one whose life was extended is ultimately me. The karma and blame lie with me.”
Mo Hua glanced at Uncle Ping and suddenly understood.
The one truly controlling the Little Ghost Life-Nurturing Art was actually this Uncle Ping. Elder Tian himself did not know it.
This Uncle Ping… was indeed an unusual figure.
But… there should be more to it.
Based on experience, Mo Hua knew there must be more than just these methods. In terms of causal logic, there were still some essential techniques.
After pondering for a moment, Mo Hua said, “And what else? What you did couldn’t possibly escape the notice of the Heavenly Dao.”
Tián Mùshēng felt a chill in his heart. This young master Mo knew far too much.
Matters of life and death were a great taboo of the Heavenly Dao. At his age, where did he learn so many secrets?
After thinking for a moment, Tián Mùshēng sighed deeply and replied: “To be honest with you, young master, extending life goes against the natural order of life and death and cannot see the light. Otherwise, once the Heavenly Dao detects such ‘chaotic’ behavior, it will bring down Heavenly Punishment, not only completely severing your vitality but also bringing unknowable great calamities.”
“Therefore, I can only linger on in this tomb, doing everything possible to conceal my own aura, surviving in the cracks of the Heavenly Dao’s majesty.”
“Once I leave, exposed under the Heavenly Dao Law, even the slightest trace of my aura would instantly provoke the Heavenly Dao’s wrath.”
Mo Hua nodded.
The Heavenly Dao was like sunlight, shining upon the earth.
Those who evaded life and death were like rats underground, doomed to die upon seeing the light.
But these answers still did not touch the core of the issue.
Mo Hua looked at Elder Tian with profound eyes and slowly said, “Then… how did you avoid the Heavenly Dao’s ‘detection’?”
Tián Mùshēng’s pupils contracted, and he trembled as he said, “It was…”
He found it difficult to speak.
Mo Hua said, “An Earth-Ground Formation?”
Tián Mùshēng was stunned, then sighed deeply. “Yes.”
Mo Hua said, “Using an Earth-Ground Formation to build the tomb, integrating the underground chamber with the earth through the formation. Relying on the Dao of the Great Earth to evade the perception of the ‘Heavenly Dao.'”
Tián Mùshēng said, “Yes.”
Mo Hua asked again, “Ordinary Earth-Ground Formations don’t have this effect, do they?”
Tián Mùshēng felt somewhat numb and nodded. “No.”
Mo Hua’s voice turned faintly eerie. “Then, Elder Tian, where did you obtain this Earth-Ground Formation used to deceive the Heavenly Dao?”
Tián Mùshēng suddenly realized that all his thoughts and knowledge seemed to be within this young master Mo’s grasp, and even his own life seemed to be held in the palm of his hand.
Who exactly was this young master Mo, and from where did he inherit such knowledge?
A deep sense of helplessness welled up in Elder Tian’s heart. “I… cannot say.”
Mo Hua’s gaze darkened slightly.
Elder Tian’s heart skipped a beat, and he sighed, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, young master Mo, but the secrets involved truly cannot be spoken.”
“I am now in a state between life and death, surviving in the cracks of the Heavenly Dao. My Fate Pattern is extremely fragile.”
Elder Tian’s face turned pale and desolate. “Young master Mo, you should understand the principle that trouble comes from the mouth. Once certain secrets are spoken, they will stir up karma.”
“Once certain people trace that karma to lock onto my Fate Pattern and make even the slightest move, I will die under the Heavenly Dao.”
“So,” Elder Tian shook his head, “some things must never be spoken from my mouth.”
Mo Hua felt somewhat displeased. With a flicker of Divine Thought, he quickly pieced together the beginning and end of the matter, then immediately recalled the conversation between Uncle Ping and Smiling Face. He spoke up: “Is it… Fāngcùn Mountain?”
Elder Tian’s expression remained unchanged, but his pupils trembled slightly.
Mo Hua nodded. “I understand.”
Only bitterness remained in Elder Tian’s heart.
The terrifying thing about someone with a mind as cunning as a demon is that you truly cannot talk too much with them.
Sometimes, not a single word can be said, not even a few expressions can be given to them.
Mo Hua asked again, “What kind of place is Fāngcùn Mountain? Surely there’s something you can tell me—some trivial information, give me a little.”
Tián Mùshēng hesitated for a long time, ultimately resigning himself to fate, and said: “Fāngcùn Mountain is a blessed land in Kun Province.”
“Blessed land?” Mo Hua was somewhat surprised.
Tián Mùshēng nodded. “It is a great hidden blessed land. The Ancestor of Fāngcùn Mountain also originated from the Earth Sect back in the day and has some connections with our Tián family. However, he became obsessed with the elusive Unorthodox Divine Doctrine, which is why he established his own sect, secluded himself from the world, and avoided worldly conflicts.”
A branch of the Earth Sect, a hidden blessed land, Unorthodox Divine Doctrine.
Mo Hua was taken aback, instantly feeling a great surge of interest. He asked, “Where is Fāngcùn Mountain? Can I enter?”
Tián Mùshēng shook his head. “Fāngcùn Mountain is a place beyond the mundane world. It never allows any outsiders to enter.”
“Any outsiders?” Mo Hua asked.
“Any,” Tián Mùshēng repeated. “Those who are not of Fāngcùn Mountain shall not enter its gates. This has been the rule for over a thousand years.”
“No exceptions?”
“None.”
Mo Hua felt quite regretful and asked again, “Then do people from Fāngcùn Mountain ever come out?”
Elder Tian sighed helplessly. “Young Master Mo, I really can only say this much. I cannot reveal any more.”
Mo Hua didn’t press further.
Although he still wanted to ask more, he was well-versed in causality and understood Elder Tian’s current predicament all too well.
Some causal matters truly should not be probed, for if they were leaked, Elder Tian’s already precarious “life-extending” situation would instantly collapse.
All his arrangements would then come to nothing.
Mo Hua had many methods to “force” Elder Tian to reveal secrets.
But doing so would undoubtedly lead to Elder Tian’s certain death.
Mo Hua changed his line of thought and asked about other matters. “Then why does the Earth Sect want to harm you? Are there some unspeakable schemes within the Earth Sect?”
Elder Tian sighed. “These… I cannot speak of them either. They are even more dangerous and untouchable than the matters of Fāngcùn Mountain.”
At least Fāngcùn Mountain is a hidden blessed land; its hand may not reach outward.
But the affairs of the Earth Sect… that is the truly perilous situation.
Elder Tian looked at Mo Hua and sincerely advised: “If I speak, it will stir causality. Not only will the Ancestor within the Earth Sect not spare me, but you, Young Master, will also bring disaster upon yourself.”
“Even I, a dignified elder who has dedicated myself to the sect for many years, have been driven to this state.”
“Young Master Mo, as an outsider, it is best not to interfere in this matter.”
“I say this for your own good. The influence of the Earth Sect is far too vast. The will of a great power is overwhelming, like the Yangtze River or the great sea, and ultimately cannot be resisted by one or two individuals.”
“Young Master Mo, please be cautious.”
Elder Tian’s gaze was despondent. After speaking, he coughed again.
Seeing Elder Tian’s condition worsening and his voice growing weaker, Mo Hua understood that Elder Tian was truly nearing the end of his life—he was genuinely “burning his remaining life” to chat with him.
It felt somewhat improper to keep a half-dead man talking like this.
If Elder Tian didn’t die at the hands of the Earth Sect but instead passed away from chatting with him, that would be unfortunate.
Mo Hua still had many questions, but saving Elder Tian’s life came first.
Mo Hua said, “Alright, I’ll take my leave now and won’t disturb you further, Elder Tian.”
Elder Tian breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart.
If Mo Hua hadn’t decided to leave on his own, he would never have dared to “see him off.”
Inviting a deity was easy, but sending one away was difficult—Mo Hua was now such a “deity.” If he were displeased, Elder Tian couldn’t bear the consequences.
“Young Master Mo, please take care on your way. Forgive this old man… for being unable to see you off,” Elder Tian said apologetically.
Mo Hua nodded, but before leaving, he asked with concern, “If I leave and the Earth Sect comes to kill you again, what will you do?”
Elder Tian replied weakly, “The Earth-Ground Formation in this tomb is quite mysterious… I can’t explain exactly how, but ordinary cultivators simply cannot find their way here.”
In other words, the fact that Young Master Mo could find his way here was already extraordinary.
“What if they do find you?” Mo Hua asked.
“If they truly find me…” Elder Tian’s expression remained calm, “then it is this old man’s fate to meet his end.”
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
Elder Tian, nearing death, seemed to have a clear perspective on things.
“Alright, you know your own affairs best,” Mo Hua said.
From the series of events so far, this Elder Tian, though a “victim,” was no simple man. Having risen to the rank of elder, his thoughts and methods were undoubtedly profound.
Even something like raising ghosts to prolong his life had been accomplished.
Without further delay, Mo Hua turned to leave.
Seeing that Mo Hua was truly leaving without hesitation or any attempt to threaten him, Elder Tian was taken aback.
He couldn’t help but speak up, “Young Master Mo.”
Mo Hua stopped and turned to look at Elder Tian.
Elder Tian still had one lingering doubt. After a moment of silence, he asked: “If I’m not mistaken, the formations you used earlier were the Third-Grade High-Tier, Twenty-Seven Runes Earth Coffin and the Twenty-Eight Runes Blazing Inferno Killing Formation, correct?”
Mo Hua nodded, “Yes.”
Elder Tian hesitated, “Are they…”
Mo Hua replied, “They are the high-tier formations you took from Fortune Pavilion.”
Elder Tian found it hard to believe and slowly asked, “How did you… learn them?”
Mo Hua didn’t hide the truth, “That day, didn’t I ask Manager Zhao to open the jade box and take a look? I learned them while I was at it.”
“Took a look… and learned them while at it…”
Twenty-seven and twenty-eight rune formations, learned just by taking a look?
Elder Tian stared at Mo Hua as if he were an unbelievable, almost indescribable monster. After a long moment of stunned silence, he frowned and murmured: “How can you be so monstrous?”
After struggling internally for a long time, a glimmer of hope finally appeared in Elder Tian’s eyes. He retrieved an ancient jade slip from beneath the coffin.
Mo Hua asked, “What is this?”
Elder Tian gently stroked the jade slip, filled with emotion, and said: “This is the 《Spiritual Plant Formation Compendium》. It is a compilation of insights and formation diagrams related to Spiritual Plant Formations, gathered by generations of my Tian family ancestors. It can also be considered the treasure of our Tian clan.”
“Now, I, Tian, wish to present this to Young Master Mo.”
Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat, followed by a hint of confusion. “Such a precious thing, and you’re just giving it to me like that?”
Although he wanted it badly, he knew that nothing in this world came without a price.
Elder Tian said, “I have a request.”
Mo Hua thought, as expected, and nodded. “Go ahead.”
Elder Tian sighed. “If one day, Young Master Mo, you grasp the true essence of this Formation Compendium and master the Spiritual Plant Formation, I ask… that you do not hesitate to instruct my only son, Tian Jizhi.”
Mo Hua frowned. “Then why not give it directly to your son?”
Elder Tian smiled bitterly. “My son… is dull in aptitude, slow in learning, and with his straightforward nature, possessing this formation compendium would be like carrying a jade that invites trouble, it would surely bring him harm.”
“Moreover, given his aptitude, even if he spent his entire life, he might never comprehend the brilliance of this formation compendium… Leaving it in his hands would only be a waste of a treasure.”
Mo Hua asked further, “What if I learn it but cannot teach your son?”
Elder Tian sighed. “Then I ask Young Master Mo to pass on my Tian family’s formation treasury to the world. Arrays are derived from the Heavenly Dao and should be used for the benefit of all living beings. I hope my Tian family’s arrays can bring benefit to the world.”
Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment, then nodded solemnly. “Alright.”
Elder Tian tremblingly handed the Jade Slip to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua received it with both hands, full of reverence.
With this, the gap in his Spiritual Plant Formation knowledge could finally be filled.
Given time, he might achieve his first extraordinary accomplishment in the field of Third-Grade Formations.