Chapter 300: Sinister Happenings
Chapter 300: Sinister Happenings
Mo Hua bade Mr. Zhuang farewell and walked through the bamboo grove, across the grass, and past the pond until he reached the ancient pagoda tree.
Under the tree, Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were reading.
When Bai Zisheng saw Mo Hua, his eyes lit up, and he immediately dropped the book in his hand and asked, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you lately."
Mo Hua opened the lunch box and shared the beef and pastries his mother had prepared with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.
"I was held up by something," he replied.
Bai Zisheng nodded without further inquiry and focused on devouring the beef.
He had a simple mind, and the presence of meat usually clouded all other thoughts.
After a moment's thought, Mo Hua asked, "Zisheng, when do you plan to build your foundation?"
Bai Zisheng corrected him, "You should call me Brother Bai!"
Mo Hua ignored the interjection.
Bai Zisheng, with a mouthful of Mo Hua's beef, couldn't help but answer, "I still have some time. I need to solidify my foundation before I can build it."
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
It seemed that Mr. Zhuang was right. Whether it was a noble family or a sect disciple, if one wanted to progress far on the path of cultivation, they wouldn't seek momentary gains. Instead, they would start refining their energy, honing their realm, and laying a solid foundation from the very beginning.
Bai Zisheng asked Mo Hua, "Are you planning to build your foundation soon?"
"Yes, I'm at the seventh level of energy refinement, so I should also start making preparations."
Bai Zixi, nibbling on a pastry, glanced up at Mo Hua and suddenly furrowed her brows. "Your spiritual sense..."
Hearing this, Bai Zisheng also studied Mo Hua and exclaimed in shock, "Mo Hua, what's going on with your spiritual sense?"
"Oh, my spiritual sense has already reached the foundation-building stage," Mo Hua replied nonchalantly, a hint of pride lingering in his eyes.
Bai Zisheng's mouth hung open, and Bai Zixi stared at him, so surprised that she forgot to eat her snack.
"Impossible!" exclaimed Bai Zisheng.
"Why not?" Mo Hua asked.
"A cultivator at the energy refinement stage can't possibly have a foundation-building level of spiritual sense!" Bai Zisheng argued.
"Oh, well, I guess it is what it is," Mo Hua said, unbothered by the skepticism.
Bai Zisheng stared at Mo Hua from every angle, still refusing to believe it. "You really have a foundation-building level of spiritual sense?"
"Didn't you just say it was impossible?" Mo Hua teased.
Bai Zisheng scratched his head, mumbling, "That shouldn't be possible. I've never heard of anyone achieving foundation-building in spiritual sense before physical cultivation..."
Mo Hua popped a pastry into his mouth and chewed it with a grin.
"How did you manage to reach the foundation-building stage in your spiritual sense?" Bai Zisheng couldn't help but ask again.
"Brother!" Bai Zixi's voice rang out, crisp and tinged with reproach.
Bai Zisheng suddenly remembered his manners and apologized, "I shouldn't have asked. Cultivators have their own opportunities and secrets that are usually not shared with others."
"It's fine," Mo Hua waved it off. "But I can't tell you about it right now. If the opportunity arises in the future, I'll let you know."
The matter of the visualization chart was something he had only discussed with Mr. Zhuang so far, as it involved his sea of consciousness, which housed the stele. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.
At least for the time being, he couldn't reveal it to Bai Zisheng.
Seeing Mo Hua's sincerity, Bai Zisheng nodded in understanding. "Alright!"
Mo Hua smiled.
But as soon as Bai Zisheng saw that smile, he was startled and blurted out, "Why did you suddenly smile so sinisterly? And there's something sinister about you!"
Mo Hua paused, then recalled the lingering sinister thoughts of the blue-faced little demon. Occasionally, those thoughts would resurface, and when he smiled, he resembled that blue-faced demon, exuding a sinister aura.
Mo Hua rubbed his cheeks, "It's nothing. I've just gone a bit crazy. It'll pass in a while."
Bai Zisheng was thoroughly confused but didn't press further. Instead, he asked curiously, "Where have you been lately?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment. He couldn't reveal the matter of the visualization chart, but he figured it was fine to tell Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi about Black Mountain Fortress.
After all, they were descendants of the Bai family, known for their profound knowledge. Perhaps they could provide some insights or clues.
So, Mo Hua selectively shared the story of Black Mountain Fortress with Bai Zisheng, from the hidden mountain path between the cliffs, to the mist-shrouded forest filled with mist arrays, to the midnight encounter with the fat and skinny cultivators, and finally, the bloody pill room and the bone pill furnace...
Mo Hua omitted anything related to the visualization chart but shared as much as he could about the rest.
She had never expected Bai Zisheng to have such a chivalrous and heroic personality. She wondered where he got that streak from.
Bai Zixi, too, was listening intently, so engrossed that she didn't even notice when her book slipped from her hands and fell to the ground.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know the difference between sinister and demonic cultivators?"
The third master regarded him as an old demon from the demonic path who had stolen someone's body. Logically, a demonic cultivator should be stronger and more fearsome than a sinister one.
However, Mo Hua had never fully understood the distinction between sinister and demonic cultivators, and when he asked Elder Yu, the elder's explanation was vague, probably because he had little experience with them himself and didn't know much about the subject.
After all, if it weren't for his encounter with Black Mountain Fortress, Mo Hua would have only met one sinister cultivator up to this point—the flower-plucking thief he and Zhang Lan had captured, and whom Mo Hua had crippled by severing one of his legs.
As for demonic cultivators, Mo Hua had hardly even heard of them.
"I know this!" Bai Zisheng said with a hint of pride, rarely showing off his knowledge in front of his sister, Bai Zixi. "Sinister and demonic cultivators are both scoundrels, practicing the techniques of evil and heretical paths. Generally, it doesn't matter if you call them sinister or demonic; they're all the same."
"If we're being specific, sinister cultivators usually refer to those who stray from the path and fall into the ways of evil, while demonic cultivators are those with a proper heritage from the demonic path, cultivating demonic techniques and doctrines."
"Demonic cultivators have a more authentic lineage, while sinister cultivators are like wild weeds. So, demonic cultivators are generally stronger. Of course, when it comes to these evil and heretical paths, it mostly depends on how wicked you are. The more evil you are, the more powerful you become, and the more deserving of death."
...
Bai Zisheng explained in great detail.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up with understanding, but then he frowned slightly, "How do you know all this so clearly?"
Bai Zisheng's expression turned serious. "Only those who slay demons and eliminate evil can be considered true cultivators! If we want to defeat the sinister and demonic, we must know ourselves and know our enemies."
Mo Hua sighed, "Alright."
So that was his intention.
Mo Hua asked again, "Then what about sinister formations? How are they different from regular formations?"
When it came to formations, especially in front of Mo Hua, Bai Zisheng felt a bit inadequate.
He was well aware of Mo Hua's prowess in formations, and he knew that compared to an average formation master at the Qi Refining stage, Mo Hua's skills were already far beyond comparison.
Bai Zisheng didn't dare to bluff, fearing that if he said something wrong, he would lose face in front of Mo Hua and wouldn't be able to continue boasting about his relationship with Mo Hua as his "big brother."
Even though Mo Hua had never acknowledged him as such...
Bai Zisheng stole a glance at his sister, Bai Zixi.
Bai Zixi gave a helpless smile and said, "Sinister and demonic formations are strictly forbidden by the elders of our clan, and our teachers never mention them. However, I once came across a brief description in a book..."
Bai Zixi's long, dark eyelashes fluttered as her autumn-like eyes reflected her thoughts. After a moment, she continued, "According to the book, sinister and demonic formations use flesh and blood as their medium, sinister thoughts as their patterns, the reversal of the grand dao as their pivot, and the refinement of human lives as their key."
"As for more specific details, the book didn't elaborate, and I'm not entirely sure about the distinction between sinister and demonic formations either."
Mo Hua nodded.
Bai Zisheng whispered, "Why don't you ask Mr. Zhuang?"
Mo Hua had the same idea, but Bai Zixi shook her head and said, "Mr. Zhuang won't tell you."
Mo Hua was taken aback and asked, "Why?"
Bai Zixi replied, "Because you're too smart. Mr. Zhuang is afraid that if he teaches you, you'll master it immediately."
(End of Chapter)
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