Chapter 352: Fundraising

Previously, Mo Hua had tried it—when a formation collapses, the spiritual energy released in reverse can harm the Fengxi.

But the Fengxi’s vitality was too strong; it regenerated quickly. Small-scale collapse simply couldn’t kill it, while a large-scale collapse was an entirely different matter.

If the entire grand formation were to collapse, how immense would the resulting destructive force be…

Mo Hua thought it over and couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart.

Better not let it come to that…

Building a grand formation required immense effort, countless resources, and manpower; Mo Hua wasn’t willing to go that far.

Still, if there was free time, he wanted to use his Divine Sense to simulate the grand formation, making preparations in advance.

Even if it wasn’t for collapsing it, using Divine Sense calculations to deepen understanding of the formation would be highly beneficial.

After all, the chance to actually draw a grand formation was once in a lifetime.

The plan to build the grand formation and suppress the Fengxi was officially announced to the cultivators of Tongxian City, after approval by the Dao Court Division, the Dao Troops Division, and Elder Yu.

The cultivators of Tongxian City reacted differently.

Some cultivators from small families didn’t believe a grand formation could be completed and didn’t want to participate; they packed their bags and left secretly that night.

Some with property or special status had already prepared an escape route, and naturally wouldn’t stay in Tongxian City to take risks.

Some wandering cultivators also thought building a grand formation was a fantasy, quietly leaving to find another path.

Other cultivators or factions with connections and resources either left or scattered.

By contrast, the vast majority of wandering cultivators and nearly all monster hunters chose to stay.

They had lived in Tongxian City for generations, born and raised there, married, had children, and slowly grew old there. Their lives were deeply intertwined with the city.

Attached to their homeland, they didn’t want to flee.

Where there was even a sliver of hope, they would fight for it.

Having experienced so much, they trusted Elder Yu—and trusted Mo Hua even more.

Much of their current well-being was thanks to Mo Hua’s formations.

Now that Mo Hua wanted to build a grand formation, they wanted to lend a hand.

Moreover, this grand formation was being built for themselves as well.

Additionally, the artificers, led by Master Chen, mostly stayed; and the alchemists, under Elder Feng’s authority, also mostly stayed to contribute.

Mo Hua felt somewhat moved.

In times of crisis, the “upper-level” cultivators of Tongxian City mostly abandoned the city,

while the lower-level cultivators, who had endured hardships in Tongxian City, were doing everything they could to protect it…

Though some cultivators fled, it wasn’t a big problem.

With most wandering cultivators staying, there was enough manpower to build the grand formation.

Constructing the grand formation required master craftsmen, so Elder Yu invited Master Ban.

Master Ban agreed without hesitation.

He had received favors from Elder Yu and Mo Hua, and was amazed by Mo Hua’s formation skills.

Now, with the chance to contribute, he accepted immediately.

Besides, this was a grand formation.

In his life, none of the craftsmen he knew had ever built one; naturally, Master Ban wanted to witness it firsthand.

He thought to himself:

“This is a masterpiece. If it’s completed, it will be a historic achievement in the prefecture, something I can boast about to my descendants for a lifetime.”

The craftsmen under him nodded in agreement.

With manpower secured, they now needed to gather spirit stones and materials.

Elder Yu donated most of the monster hunters’ earnings.

Including spirit ores they had captured, earnings from the artificer and alchemist guilds over time, and some of his own assets.

Other wandering cultivators donated spirit stones as well, leaving only enough for their basic cultivation needs.

Mo Shan also donated, while Liu Ruhua contributed most of the spirit stones she had saved from running her food stall.

She felt a little reluctant; after all, these stones were meant for Mo Hua’s future cultivation, buying a cave dwelling, or marrying a Dao partner.

But now, the grand formation was being built under Mo Hua’s direction, so the stones were being used according to his intentions.

Mo Hua even donated the 10,000 spirit stones Elder Yu had given him earlier, but Elder Yu initially refused to accept them.

Elder Yu stroked his beard and scowled: “Don’t get in the way!”

“The grand formation is mine to build, so naturally I should contribute some spirit stones,” Mo Hua said.

“You don’t need to,” Elder Yu refused.

Ten thousand spirit stones… was it even significant…

“But—”

Before Mo Hua could finish, Elder Yu interrupted:

“These were for your Foundation Establishment. Whether the grand formation is completed or whether the Fengxi is killed cannot delay your cultivation.”

Elder Yu’s tone was serious: “Your Foundation Establishment is the most important!”

“But first we have to get past this current hurdle—”

“No matter what, you must cultivate!” Elder Yu repeated.

Seeing Mo Hua still hesitant, Elder Yu sighed:

“If you really feel bad about it, once you reach Foundation Establishment and become a second-grade formation master, help us when you can.”

“Second-grade formation master… then you’ll truly have authority; everything will be easier for you.”

Mo Hua nodded; Elder Yu was right. But he also knew that whether the grand formation could be completed was equally important to him.

He needed the grand formation to advance step by step and comprehend more profound formation techniques.

Mo Hua insisted on giving the spirit stones to Elder Yu.

Elder Yu sighed and accepted them. Then, while Mo Hua wasn’t looking, he quickly slipped them into Mo Hua’s arms.

“All right, you’ve donated, now I’ll give them back to you.”

Mo Hua felt both amused and exasperated.

“How can a formation master draw a formation without compensation?” Elder Yu said, pretending to be stern. “Keep them properly.”

Knowing Elder Yu’s stubbornness, Mo Hua could only accept.

The fundraising for spirit stones proceeded systematically, but relying solely on monster hunters and wandering cultivators was clearly insufficient.

Mo Hua then went to find Supervisor Zhou.

Stroking his beard, Zhou suggested two methods:

“One, I submit a request to the Dao Court for more spirit stones and materials, claiming it’s for disaster relief and city relocation, citing a shortage of spirit stones…”

“Not directly say it’s for the grand formation?” Mo Hua asked.

“If you say it’s for a grand formation, they’ll never approve it,” Zhou said.

Mo Hua was momentarily stunned.

Zhou explained:

“If I said it’s for a grand formation, the Dao Court wouldn’t believe it, let alone approve it. Tongxian City is just a small city; there are barely any first-grade formation masters—what could we possibly use to build a grand formation?”

“Even if they believed it, approval would require sending people to inspect everything thoroughly.”

“The Dao Court is bloated and entangled in interests. With no one above to support me, it would take who knows how long.”

“Besides, the resources needed for a grand formation are bottomless; the Dao Court might not be willing to spend them.”

“Better to find a known, safe reason, request what we can, take as much as possible. Less is not a loss, more is beneficial.”

“As for the bulk of the spirit stones, we’ll need another plan.”

Mo Hua curiously asked: “What plan?”

Zhou stroked his beard, smiling faintly: “Guess.”

Mo Hua thought a moment, then said cautiously:

“The Qian family?”

Zhou nodded: “Correct. The Qian family is wealthy, and due to their ancestor, most of their assets aren’t exactly clean.”

“Seize the Qian family’s property?”

Zhou shook his head: “Not necessary. It’s urgent. As long as the Qian family donates property, we can overlook the ancestor’s crimes building the Black Mountain Stronghold and colluding with evil cultivators.”

Zhou said coldly: “Ultimately, the Fengxi incident is the Qian ancestor’s fault. If he hadn’t used humans and this pig demon to make pills, this calamity wouldn’t have occurred.”

“Now we give them a chance to redeem themselves; hopefully they won’t be ungrateful…”

Mo Hua nodded and added:

“I’ll also try to see Elder An, see if he’s willing to donate.”

The An family was the second-largest family in Tongxian City, with plenty of spirit stones.

Zhou hesitated: “The An family is honest; asking them to donate property, Elder An might not agree.”

“How will we know if we don’t try? Maybe Elder An is generous and charitable,” Mo Hua said.

Zhou tugged at the corner of his mouth, clearly skeptical, but said:

“You can try.”

Mo Hua then went to see Elder An and got straight to the point:

“Elder, we’re building a grand formation. Would you like to donate some spirit stones?”

Elder An’s expression showed neither joy nor anger:

“And if I don’t want to?”

Mo Hua replied casually: “I’m just asking. If not, that’s fine. We’re close; it won’t cause trouble.”

Elder An scrutinized Mo Hua’s expression. Seeing no hidden malice, he sighed lightly, realizing he had overthought.

He had thought Mo Hua might start with threats.

Building a grand formation required spirit stones, which the An family had, making the situation delicate.

If something went wrong, the An family would naturally become the city’s resource store.

Elder An knew well that human relationships were fragile, while interests were harsh but enduring.

Though the An family had some ties with Mo Hua, ties are weaker than spirit stones. Their friendship wasn’t deep enough to outweigh resources.

Elder An’s expression gradually grew serious.

He understood that the decision to build the grand formation rested with Mo Hua.

Although he couldn’t comprehend how Mo Hua persuaded Elder Yu, Supervisor Zhou, and Commander Yang of the Dao Troops,

Mo Hua had done it.

Mo Hua’s special status and extensive connections meant that, despite his young age, many affairs in Tongxian City were effectively under his control.

Especially now, the city’s largest factions were mostly behind him.

If he wanted to pressure the An family, they would struggle to resist.

If he insisted on their donation, they would have to comply; refusal would bring no good outcome.

But it seemed Mo Hua had no intention of forcing them…

Elder An secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then grew curious:

“You really don’t need me to donate?”

Mo Hua corrected: “I do want you to donate; whether you choose to is up to you.”

Elder An nodded, then after a moment, cautiously asked:

“And if I want to donate?”

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up. He had already prepared his pitch and began “painting the big picture” for Elder An.