Chapter 177: Preparations (Part Five)
Chapter 177: Preparations (Part Five)
With everything in place, could they really be ready to open their own artifact and pill refineries?
Elder Yu hesitated, unsure.
Mo Hua looked at him and said, "Elder Yu, these spirit stones will only last us ten years. What will we do after that?"
Elder Yu furrowed his brow.
He had considered what Mo Hua said, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't come up with a good solution.
The lives of demon hunters were already difficult enough. Having ten years of respite, where they didn't have to worry about food and clothing and could focus on their cultivation, was already something Elder Yu was content with.
This was the best he could do.
But at that moment, Mo Hua's words stirred his emotions.
Perhaps their good days could last a little longer?
Elder Yu carefully organized his thoughts and felt that Mo Hua's suggestion was feasible.
In the past, they lacked both spirit stones and talented array masters, so they had never considered this possibility.
But now, they had an abundance of spirit stones and a young, talented array master. What else was there to worry about?
Elder Yu felt his blood boiling.
This was an opportunity given to them poor, scattered cultivators by the heavens!
If they didn't seize this fleeting chance, they would surely regret it in the future!
"Mo Hua," Elder Yu said solemnly, looking at him, "you are right. But this matter is of great importance, and I must discuss it with the others before making a decision."
Mo Hua nodded.
He was merely making a suggestion; the decision to proceed and how to do so rested with Elder Yu.
However, Elder Yu's word carried weight among the demon hunters. If he agreed, it was almost certain to happen, and the meeting to discuss it would likely be a formality.
"There's one more thing," Elder Yu said thoughtfully, "if we are to build artifact and pill refineries, we will need to forge large artifact and pill cauldrons, and the arrays for those..."
Mo Hua patted his chest and said, "Rest assured, leave it to me!"
For Mo Hua, this was an opportunity to practice arrays for free, and on a large spiritual artifact at that. It was something he eagerly welcomed.
Large spiritual artifacts were extremely costly and not something that ordinary cultivators could forge.
If he could draw arrays on these large artifacts, Mo Hua's understanding of arrays would reach new heights.
Aside from not having a certification from the Dao Court, Mo Hua's skill was already that of a first-rate array master.
But for him, first-rate was not the endpoint but rather the beginning. He aspired to become an even higher-ranked array master, comprehending more powerful arrays!
With arrays, he would gain the ability to connect heaven and earth!
As Mo Hua thought about this, his eyes shone with a brilliant light.
Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and felt that the young man standing before him was more important to the demon hunters than all the glowing spirit stones in the warehouse.
Elder Yu returned to gather everyone for a discussion. He told them about the plan to establish the artifact and pill refineries, and then said bluntly, "I have already agreed to it."
The others silently complained in their hearts.
Since you've already agreed, what else is there to say... Who would dare oppose it now?
Elder Yu didn't waste time and immediately continued, "Now, let's discuss the specifics of how we should proceed."
Everyone began to offer their opinions and engaged in lively discussions.
It took them an entire half-day to finally settle on a general plan.
Elder Yu reviewed the plan and felt that it was mostly satisfactory, with only a few details requiring further consideration, but nothing that would affect the overall outcome.
Once the plan was finalized, Elder Yu acted swiftly and decisively, assigning tasks and dividing the workforce. He outlined how much time each task would take and what each person needed to do in detail.
From then on, the demon hunters of Tongxian City gradually became busy.
Elder Yu's vision was to establish the largest artifact and pill refineries in Tongxian City.
The demon hunters would venture into the mountains to hunt demons and gather materials. Loose cultivators who were skilled in artifact refinement would refine artifacts, while those adept at pill concoction would refine pills. The crafted spiritual artifacts and pills would then be used by the demon hunters themselves or sold to earn spirit stones.
Such large-scale artifact and pill refineries would require a significant number of artifact refiners and pill concoctors, as well as apprentices to learn the trades. This endeavor would provide numerous livelihood opportunities for the demon hunters.
Some loose cultivators who lacked combat prowess and couldn't become demon hunters could learn the crafts of artifact refinement or pill concoction to support themselves. Should they achieve success in their endeavors, they would not only better their own lives but also contribute to the welfare of other loose cultivators.
The preparatory work was intricate and complex, and Elder Yu, along with the leading demon hunters, took charge of overseeing these processes. Mo Hua didn't need to worry about these matters, and even if he wanted to help, he lacked the necessary expertise.
His contribution lay in his ability to draw arrays.
The establishment of large-scale artifact and pill refineries required two types of arrays: architectural arrays for the buildings and refining fire arrays for the furnaces.
The first consideration was the architectural arrays.
According to Elder Yu's plan, the construction would be carried out in two phases. The first phase would focus on building the artifact refinery, while the second phase would involve constructing the pill refinery.
Compared to pill concoctors, there were more loose cultivators skilled in artifact refinement, and cultivators consumed a larger number of spiritual artifacts. Thus, they decided to concentrate their manpower and resources on establishing the artifact refinery first, ensuring a smooth sales process.
Once the artifact refinery was completed, they would follow a similar framework to build the pill refinery, benefiting from the experience gained during the first phase. This would expedite the construction of the pill refinery.
Mo Hua's initial task was to design the architectural arrays for the artifact refinery.
The refinery would occupy a vast area, encompassing various structures such as walls, gates, warehouses, artifact refinement chambers, living quarters for the cultivators, and storage rooms.
While Elder Yu was still negotiating the specific site with the Dao Court, the architectural plans had to be prepared in advance.
Elder Yu also gathered architectural blueprints from other artifact refineries for Mo Hua to reference.
However, these blueprints were either too small in scale, utilizing only a handful of arrays, or they employed basic formations consisting of three or four array patterns, similar to the foundational arrays Mo Hua had initially learned, like the Stabilizing Earth Array and the Metal and Stone Array.
With his improved skills and knowledge, Mo Hua found these designs underwhelming.
Some blueprints incorporated a larger number of arrays, but they lacked a systematic approach, appearing disorganized and offering little value for reference.
Other blueprints were vague and ambiguous, presumably to prevent the disclosure of their core arrays, but they provided little useful information.
Mo Hua had expected to find profound insights in these designs but was surprised to discover that most practitioners used rather rudimentary arrays. In comparison, the set of architectural arrays used by the An family, despite its flaws, was already considered quite remarkable.
Mo Hua browsed through these blueprints to get a general sense of the standard practices and then began designing his own arrays.
Since the arrays used in these refineries weren't particularly sophisticated, Mo Hua felt no pressure or burden.
With his current abilities, he could create first-rate arrays with ease, and even his casual drawings would likely surpass the arrays used in other refineries.
(End of Chapter)
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