Chapter 1494: Formation Expressway
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Chapter 1492: Formation Expressway
Zhū Mùchén nodded, “Our Zhū Clan has farmland in the Great Spirit Field Realm. Now that I’ve cultivated to the Golden Core stage, my father wants me to gradually get involved in some of the family’s businesses. You don’t have to master every industry, but you must understand them. So in a few days, I’ll be going to the Great Spirit Field Realm to inspect the Zhū Clan’s farmland.”
Great Spirit Field Realm.
Mo Hua’s brow twitched slightly, lost in thought.
Seeing Mo Hua’s expression, Zhū Mùchén couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his heart and asked, “Little Senior Brother, would you like to come along?”
“I…” Mo Hua was still hesitating.
Zhū Mùchén grabbed his wrist enthusiastically and said: “Little Senior Brother, come with me. I can play host and show you around the Zhū Clan’s businesses.”
“But,” Mo Hua asked, “won’t the round trip take a lot of time?”
Zhū Mùchén replied, “No problem. Our Zhū Clan has its own expressway.”
“Expressway?” Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.
(TN: Has the Author secretly infiltrated our Slaughter Mo Alliance Discord server? How else would they know we were just discussing bullet trains and railways over there?)
“Yes,” Zhū Mùchén nodded. “It’s a road paved with formations, specifically for carriages and horses. It’s incredibly fast, covering thousands of miles in a single day.”
Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. “Your Zhū Clan has something like this?”
Zhū Mùchén nodded and explained, “It’s said that in the past, the Dao Court used these roads for military campaigns, suppressing the Demonic Path, and unifying the Nine Provinces. They allowed rapid troop movements and the transportation of supplies and equipment.”
“Later, when peace prevailed and wars became rare, these expressways fell into disuse. Our Zhū Clan happened to retain one, repaired it ourselves, and now use it to connect our territory to the Great Spirit Field Realm, making it easier to manage our farmland.”
Mo Hua asked, “Is the expressway very fast?”
Zhū Mùchén replied, “Normally, the fastest route to the Great Spirit Field Realm takes at least half a month, but using our Zhū Clan’s expressway, it only takes three days.”
Mo Hua asked again, “Do all the major families in Kun Province have their own expressways?”
Zhū Mùchén thought for a moment and answered, “The major families do. Kun Province is rich in land, and many industries are built on this foundation. The major families all find ways to control their own expressways. Otherwise, with inconvenient transportation, if anything happens in the Great Spirit Field Realm, they wouldn’t be able to manage it even if they wanted to.”
“However, these formation expressways are long and enclosed, and only major families can afford to maintain them. They are never open to the public. If smaller families want to use an expressway, they must either have close ties, such as long-standing marriage alliances, or pay a hefty maintenance fee.”
Mo Hua nodded, suddenly understanding.
This was the fast lane within major families.
The major families in Houtu City had been operating in Kun Province for many years and couldn’t possibly overlook transportation issues.
However, such conveniences were generally unavailable to ordinary people.
Zhū Mùchén asked again, “Little Senior Brother, do you want to go to the Great Spirit Field Realm?”
Mo Hua hesitated, “I… I do want to.”
Zhū Mùchén was overjoyed and warmly invited, “Then come with me, Little Senior Brother. I was just worried about traveling alone…”
He had been about to say bored, but felt that would sound too unambitious and lazy in front of his Little Senior Brother, so he straightened up and said seriously: “I was worried about having no one to guide me in cultivation and formations, fearing my skills would stagnate and my studies would be neglected.”
“Little Senior Brother, if you come along, you can guide me. Besides, the Zhū Clan’s expressway is fast, we’ll be there in just three days.”
Zhū Mùchén had even prepared a reason for Mo Hua.
Looking at Zhū Mùchén’s expectant eyes, Mo Hua suddenly felt that it would be a shame not to go, almost letting down this Little Junior Brother.
Mo Hua sighed, “I’ll… think about it.”
Zhū Mùchén nodded repeatedly, “Mm, mm.” Then, with a hint of apology, he added: “But… Little Senior Brother, you’ll have to give me an answer within the next few days. Since the itinerary is arranged by the family, I can’t make the decision myself.”
Mo Hua nodded, “Alright.”
Only then did Zhū Mùchén cheerfully say, “Then I’ll await your news, Little Senior Brother.”
Mo Hua gently responded with an “Mm.”
…
Back at the Little Luan Mountain Blessed Land, Mo Hua was still considering the matter.
His original plan was to first earn enough Spirit stones, cultivate to the Golden Core middle stage, and ideally, also schedule the Third-Grade Formation Master assessment.
Once his cultivation matters were temporarily settled, he would then head to the Great Spirit Field Realm to investigate thoroughly.
To see what the Great Spirit Field Realm was truly like.
To see what the Dao Court Division, the Earth Sect, and the various factions were really trying to accomplish there.
But now, plans couldn’t keep up with changes.
By hitching a ride with Little Junior Brother Zhū Mùchén, he could reach the Great Spirit Field Realm within three days.
If he missed this opportunity, who knew when he’d get such a convenient ride again.
Without this ride, even if he traveled by Spirit horse, the journey to the Great Spirit Field Realm would take at least half a month. Round trip, just the travel alone would consume a full month.
Mo Hua weighed the pros and cons, finally sighing and deciding that the opportunity shouldn’t be missed, he had to go to the Great Spirit Field Realm first.
At the very least, he should go and assess the situation there, take a look at the fate of the common people in Kun Province, deduce the Feng Shui terrain, and observe the Heavenly Secret patterns.
Once Mo Hua made up his mind, he went to find Little Senior Sister. But upon entering her Bamboo Chamber, he found True Person Rong there as well.
Little Senior Sister was drawing a Formation at the table, while True Person Rong sat before it, sipping tea, as if keeping Little Senior Sister company, or perhaps watching over her.
When Mo Hua entered the room, True Person Rong glanced at him, her elegant eyes instantly tinged with a hint of vigilance, as if she were looking at some dangerous individual.
Mo Hua vaguely felt that True Person Rong was guarding against him as if he were a thief, leaving him somewhat puzzled.
Did I do something wrong? For someone as esteemed as True Person Rong, is it necessary to be so wary of me?
Mo Hua bowed to True Person Rong, “True Person.”
True Person Rong nodded slightly, “Is something the matter?”
Mo Hua said, “I’ll be heading to the Great Spirit Field Realm in the next few days.”
True Person Rong was taken aback, “The Great Spirit Field Realm?”
“Mm,” Mo Hua nodded, “I have a Little Junior Brother in the Zhū Clan. Some time ago, he invited me to go to the Great Spirit Field Realm with him.”
As he spoke, Mo Hua turned to Bái Zǐxī and asked, “Senior Sister, do you want to go?”
Bái Zǐxī nodded, “I’ll go too.”
True Person Rong immediately said, “No.”
Bái Zǐxī silently looked at True Person Rong.
True Person Rong said, “Looking at me won’t change anything. No means no.”
Bái Zǐxī’s expression turned cold. Though no joy or anger was visible, it was clear she was unhappy.
True Person Rong sighed and advised, “The Great Spirit Field Realm is too far away.”
It’s so far, and it’s a Third-Grade Territory. As someone who has achieved Feathered Ascension, I can’t follow you there, and I certainly can’t keep an eye on you.
If you two, Senior Sister and Junior Brother, end up causing some trouble or taking things too far, the blame would fall on me. How would I ever explain it to the Grand Matriarch?
At this thought, True Person Rong spoke seriously again, “It’s too far, too many variables. You can’t go.”
Bai Zixi pursed her lips and fell silent.
Mo Hua also understood clearly that it was highly unlikely for Little Senior Sister to go to the Great Spirit Field Realm, and True Person Rong would probably not permit it either.
Moreover, after all, Little Senior Sister still needed to prioritize her cultivation.
If he took her out to play every day, it would easily distract her mind. Over time, he might truly lead Little Senior Sister astray.
True Person Rong had saved his life, so he didn’t want to put her in a difficult position either.
Mo Hua then said, “Senior Sister, you focus on your cultivation. I’ll be back in a while.”
Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua with her icy jade-like, breathtakingly beautiful eyes and softly replied, “Hmm.”
Sensing Little Senior Sister’s slight mood, Mo Hua felt a bit helpless.
True Person Rong also glanced at Mo Hua and asked, “Are you going to the Great Spirit Field Realm alone?”
Mo Hua nodded and added, “And my Little Junior Brother.”
True Person Rong asked, “Won’t there be any danger?”
She could guess that Mo Hua likely had many enemies, and probably quite a few people were secretly plotting how to harm him.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, “It should be fine. In a Third-Grade Territory, there aren’t many who can threaten me.”
In saying this, he was actually being quite modest.
Looking across the Third-Grade Territory, within the Golden Core Realm, Mo Hua couldn’t think of anyone worth him being wary of for now.
Unless Martial Uncle personally came looking for him, setting up a Strange Dao net to capture him.
Otherwise, under normal circumstances, even if Mo Hua couldn’t win, he could still escape using concealment and movement techniques.
True Person Rong actually couldn’t quite gauge Mo Hua’s true depth and only nodded, saying: “That’s good.”
Deep down, True Person Rong wasn’t all that concerned about Mo Hua’s safety; she was just asking casually.
After all, Mo Hua was a huge “troublemaker”—precisely because all sorts of troubles couldn’t kill him that he became a troublemaker.
People like him were generally hard to kill.
If he died that easily, he’d be called an unlucky fellow, not worthy of being called a troublemaker.
And after the Jade Fragrance Pavilion incident, True Person Rong became even more certain of this.
Not to mention, True Person Rong also understood clearly that although Mo Hua didn’t show off, he actually possessed powerful Causality Technique skills that were extremely mismatched with his cultivation level.
People like this were often the hardest to kill.
Worrying about him was better spent worrying about Xiao Ju’s orange tree.
…
Two days later, Mo Hua packed his belongings, bid farewell to True Person Rong and Little Senior Sister, and set off.
Before leaving this time, Mo Hua did ask Xiao Ju if she wanted to go to the Great Spirit Field Realm together.
Xiao Ju really wanted to go because she heard there were orange trees in the Great Spirit Field Realm. But after thinking it over, she ultimately sighed and said: “Forget it, I should stay and keep Zixi sister company. Maybe next time there’s a chance.”
Mo Hua didn’t insist.
The situation in the Great Spirit Field Realm this time was unclear, and the outcome unpredictable, so it really wasn’t appropriate to bring Xiao Ju along.
So Mo Hua went alone to the Fortune Pavilion, met up with his Little Junior Brother Zhū Mùchén, chatted for a while, drank some tea, and only after everything was prepared did they take a carriage together to the Zhū Clan.
The Zhū Clan wasn’t particularly welcoming toward Mo Hua; on the contrary, they held some wariness and inexplicable hostility toward him.
But the Zhū Clan was, after all, a major clan, so they maintained proper etiquette on the surface. All the welcoming and hospitality arrangements were of high standard.
Mo Hua was also Zhū Mùchén’s Little Senior Brother, so even if the Zhū Clan wished to slight him, Zhū Mùchén would not allow it.
Thus, after entering the Zhū Clan and receiving a round of hospitality, Zhū Mùchén led Mo Hua into a medium-sized, exquisite vermilion carriage.
The carriage’s exterior silhouette appeared more streamlined and agile compared to ordinary carriages.
Its design was also different, the internal structure and Spiritual Power hubs had been specially modified to be more efficient and sturdy, and the wheels were engraved with wind patterns, seemingly specifically adapted to certain road formations.
Even a formation expert like Mo Hua found it novel.
Boarding the carriage, they entered the expressway from a gate within the Zhū Clan.
The wheel’s Formation Patterns and the expressway’s formations mutually activated, and after a brief acceleration, the entire carriage instantly resembled a crimson fish-dragon swimming across the land of Kun Province.
The scenery outside the window receded like a rewinding tape. Amidst the howling gale, the vermilion carriage cleaved through the fierce wind, roaring forward with a truly wind-like swiftness.
This was Mo Hua’s first time riding in such a fast carriage. He felt as if he were sitting in the wind, floating to the clouds, and momentarily experienced discomfort.
It took a full incense stick’s time before he gradually recovered.
(TN: 30 to 45 mins)
Zhū Mùchén thoughtfully lit incense for Mo Hua and brewed a pot of cloud mist tea, saying: “Little Senior Brother, have some tea. This carriage prioritizes speed over comfort. It’s indeed not easy to adapt to on the first ride, but you’ll get used to it soon.”
Mo Hua nodded, drank the tea, inhaled the carriage’s delicate fragrance, steadied his mind, and over time gradually adapted, no longer feeling out of place.
Zhū Mùchén inwardly nodded in approval, truly worthy of being his Little Senior Brother.
Back when he first rode this carriage, he had vomited seven times in total and still carried some lingering trauma.
Yet Little Senior Brother recovered after just a short while. Perhaps it was because his Dao Heart was too resolute.
Once Mo Hua’s Sea of Consciousness settled slightly, he released his Divine-Sense and silently calculated the wind-based Formation Patterns on the carriage and the formations within the expressway.
After calculating for a while, Mo Hua roughly grasped the concept.
This “expressway formation” was essentially a fusion of the Five Elements Earth Formations and the Eight Trigrams Wind Formation.
Purely in terms of formation difficulty, it wasn’t particularly intricate. The real challenge lay in the construction of the formations.
The construction of such expressways was clearly a massive undertaking, spanning great distances east, west, south, and north, with high building costs and significant maintenance difficulties.
Back in the day, had it not been for the Dao Court’s need to accelerate military movements during the cultivation wars, they likely wouldn’t have burdened the people and wasted resources to build such formation expressways.
Insight into worldly affairs is all knowledge.
In anything involving the principles and applications of formations, seeing more and learning more is never a bad thing.
Thus, sitting inside the carriage, Mo Hua casually calculated the wind-based Formation Patterns on the carriage, as well as the formation structure and Formation Pivot hierarchy within the expressway, recording them one by one on a Jade Slip as part of his accumulation of formation knowledge.
Zhū Mùchén quietly remained by the side, seeing that Little Senior Brother was focused on pondering something and never disturbed him.
Only when Mo Hua had nearly finished his calculations and paused to rest did Zhū Mùchén take out a pile of items from a small box in the carriage, saying: “Little Senior Brother, these are fruits and pastries I specially picked—sweet and sticky, fragrant and crispy, all kinds. Which ones do you like?”
“Also, here’s wine. I know you love fruit wine, so I prepared eighteen kinds. Additionally, there are five types each of clear wine and strong liquor.”
“And there’s all sorts of spirit meat. If we get hungry later, we can grill it.”
“Also, here are spirit beast chess and Five Elements chess.”
“And…”
Zhu Muchen, as if presenting treasures, pulled out a large pile of items, dazzling and varied.
Mo Hua was both amused and deeply moved. He said, “We can talk about these later. Didn’t you say you wanted me to guide you in cultivation and formations?”
Zhu Muchen was taken aback, his face slightly flushed as he smiled sheepishly with embarrassment.
To entertain his Little Senior Brother, he had spent nearly all his thoughts on these preparations over the past few days.
Mo Hua then said gently, “How far have you progressed in formations?”
Zhu Muchen replied somewhat guiltily, “Only up to… Second Grade Mid Tier.”
“How many patterns?”
“Only… around fifteen or sixteen patterns.”
This progress clearly showed some laziness.
Mo Hua did not scold him. Instead, he took out paper and brush, wrote down a list of Five Elements formations, and said: “Draw each of these formations for me one by one. I want to see the current level of your formation skills, so I can identify and fill in the gaps.”
Zhu Muchen obediently followed Mo Hua’s instructions and drew them one by one.
For patterns he couldn’t draw or had forgotten, he circled them.
After finishing, he handed the formation diagrams to Mo Hua. Mo Hua shook his head slightly but said nothing. Instead, based on Zhu Muchen’s own foundation, he tailored his teaching to the student’s abilities. He personally demonstrated with the brush while explaining some basics and insights into formations.
Mo Hua’s mastery of formations was extremely solid, his understanding profound, and his teaching was clear and easy to grasp, progressing from simple to complex. Even ordinary formation patterns could be explained with extraordinary and profound variations.
Zhu Muchen was initially a bit unaccustomed, but as he listened, his eyes grew brighter and brighter.
And when he remembered that this was his Little Senior Brother—a prodigy of the Great Void Sect, the Dual Formation Dao champion at the Qianxue Tournament—patiently giving him one-on-one guidance in formations, Zhu Muchen felt overwhelmingly honored. His heart swelled with excitement, and his face flushed red.
…
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