Chapter 371: The Cyan Cloud Sect
Chapter 371: The Cyan Cloud Sect
A few days later, Mo Hua set off with Dao Ting Si's carriage towards the Cyan Cloud Sect in Qing Shan City.
Since it was just for the assessment, there weren't many people accompanying them. Only a few executives of Dao Ting Si and his father, Mo Shan, were present.
The carriage belonged exclusively to Dao Ting Si, and the horses pulling it were spiritual beasts trained by cultivators. They were of common bloodlines and not particularly rare.
The carriage displayed the flag of Dao Ting Si, and traveling on the main road, they were unlikely to be disturbed.
This was Mo Hua's first long journey.
Curious, he lifted the curtain and poked his small head out the window, taking in the sights along the way.
Whenever he encountered something novel, a landscape he had never seen before, or strange-looking cultivators, he would turn to his father and ask, "Father, what mountain is that?"
"Why aren't there any fish in this river?"
"Why is that cultivator carrying a big knife?"
"What are those red things being sold on the roadside?"
...
Mo Hua's questions were endless, and Mo Shan patiently explained each one.
"That's Qingping Mountain. The river water is poisonous, so there are no fish. The cultivator with the knife is a mercenary, and the red fruits sold on the roadside are wild berries that won't fill your stomach..."
Mo Hua asked, and Mo Shan answered one after the other.
The journey was bumpy but smooth, and after three days, the carriage arrived at Cyan Cloud City.
The city was larger than Tongxian City, with wider streets, but it lacked the bustle of Tongxian. The items sold by the street vendors looked novel, but most were similar to those found in Tongxian.
After turning a few streets, they could vaguely see a majestic sect amidst the clouds and mist on Qingping Mountain.
The Cyan Cloud Sect.
This was the largest sect in Heishan Realm, a second-rate state realm.
The sect was ranked second-rate and boasted over ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. Rumor had it that the Grand Elder had reached the latter stages of Foundation Establishment.
However, none of this concerned Mo Hua; he was merely there to take an exam.
The Dao Ting Formation Master grade assessment was held once every few years, with the exact dates decided by the Tianxu Cabinet of Dao Ting.
The Tianxu Cabinet would select the assessment location, and formation masters with grading qualifications from each state realm would gather to take the assessment together.
The assessment venues were usually prominent sects or influential families.
This year, the chosen location was the Cyan Cloud Sect.
Upon arriving at the Cyan Cloud Sect, Mo Hua and his companions alighted from the carriage and were soon approached by a disciple who inquired about their purpose.
A young executive from Tongxian City explained, "We are here to participate in the formation master grading assessment."
The disciple's attitude became even more respectful, and after ushering them in with a "please," he led them to an elegant hall on the left.
The hall was filled with cultivators sitting in mahogany chairs, sipping tea as they waited.
"Before the grading, you must present your recommendation letters. Our sect elders will register you, and once the examiners from the Tianxu Cabinet verify your information, you may participate in the formation assessment at the Wisdome Hall on the main peak of Cyan Cloud Peak the day after tomorrow."
The disciple reminded them and, after bowing, took his leave.
Mo Hua and the others sat down, drank some tea, and waited.
On the other side, formation masters were registering in an orderly manner.
Out of boredom, Mo Hua wanted to listen in on the registration process and the questions being asked, but even when he perked up his ears, he couldn't hear a thing.
He then released his spiritual sense and realized that a soundproofing formation had been set up.
The formation was simple and posed no challenge to Mo Hua, but out of respect, he retracted his spiritual sense and sat quietly, waiting patiently.
After a while, it was his turn.
Accompanied by Mo Shan, Mo Hua handed his recommendation letter to the registering elder.
This elder was only middle-aged, with a cultivation base at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, and his experience didn't seem extensive, suggesting that he had recently been promoted and was thus assigned the registration task.
He looked at Mo Hua with suspicion and, upon receiving his recommendation letter, immediately furrowed his brows. After a moment of thought, he asked tentatively, "Which one of you is Mo Hua?"
"Me," Mo Hua replied.
The elder asked again, "And which one of you is taking the assessment?"
"Me!" Mo Hua answered once more.
The elder looked from Mo Hua to the recommendation letter and back again, his expression filled with doubt. After a long pause, he asked, "How old are you?"
"I'm thirteen!" Mo Hua declared.
The elder's expression became increasingly complex.
He then turned to Mo Shan and inquired, "Are you this child's father?"
Mo Shan nodded.
"Are you aware of the purpose of his visit here?" the elder asked.
Mo Shan frowned slightly and replied calmly, "It should be clearly stated in the letter."
The elder of the Cyan Cloud Sect glanced at the recommendation letter, which indeed stated clearly:
"We hereby recommend a cultivator from Tongxian City, named Mo Hua, aged thirteen, with profound knowledge in formations and the qualifications for grading.
The letter was authentic, but the more he looked at it, the more he felt something was amiss. Could there really be a thirteen-year-old here to take the assessment?
"Could they be trying to deceive me...?" The middle-aged elder was even more apprehensive, so he released his spiritual sense to try and scrutinize Mo Hua.
He did it very discreetly, releasing his spiritual sense and then retracting it immediately. However, the moment his spiritual sense touched Mo Hua, it instantly vanished without a trace, leaving no information to be discerned.
"How unfathomable!"
The elder was startled, and when he looked up, he saw Mo Hua quietly watching him, a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
"He noticed!"
The elder's heart sank, and he quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "I apologize for my rudeness. Please don't take offense. I will proceed with the registration now."
Mo Hua was not the type to hold a grudge, so he nodded and replied, "Thank you, Elder."
The elder sat down again, feeling relieved. "I almost caused trouble for myself..."
The fact that his spiritual sense was blocked suggested that Mo Hua was wearing a spirit treasure that hindered spiritual sense. Such treasures were extremely valuable, usually only possessed by those from influential families or sects.
If that was the case, then Mo Hua's background was not to be underestimated. And if he didn't have such a treasure, then he was even more formidable.
The stronger one's spiritual sense, the more subtle it became. The fact that he couldn't perceive Mo Hua's spiritual sense with his own meant that Mo Hua's spiritual sense was exceptionally powerful, possibly far surpassing his own. That was why he was completely unable to probe him.
Moreover, even a slight attempt at scrutiny had been noticed by Mo Hua.
With such formidable spiritual sense, it was plausible that he had the capacity to study formations and might even possess the skills necessary for the assessment, potentially qualifying as a first-rate formation master.
And he was only thirteen years old.
A thirteen-year-old first-rate formation master...
That was truly terrifying...
The elder pondered these thoughts, his anxiety growing.
However, he maintained a calm demeanor and carefully recorded Mo Hua's name, character by character. Then, he cupped his hands and apologized again, "Please forgive my earlier rudeness. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me."
The elder then introduced himself, "My surname is Li, and I am an outer sect elder of the Cyan Cloud Sect, in charge of reception for the formation master grading assessment. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to find me."
Elder Li also handed over a jade token, a map, and a jade nameplate.
"This jade token is your proof of identity. You will need to present it to participate in the grading assessment after tomorrow."
"This map is a simple illustration of the outer mountain areas, marked with the buildings and terrain. It indicates the places you can and cannot go."
"My sect, the Cyan Cloud Sect, is the largest sect in the Black Mountain State Realm. During your free time, you can use this map to explore the outer mountain areas and admire the scenery of the Cyan Cloud Sect."
"This is my identity nameplate. All elders of the Cyan Cloud Sect carry one. If you encounter any troubles, presenting this nameplate will save you a lot of trouble..."
...
Elder Li's attitude was polite but warm.
Mo Hua was pleasantly surprised and smiled as he expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Elder Li!"
Seeing Mo Hua's sincere smile, Elder Li finally relaxed, realizing that Mo Hua didn't seem to hold any grudges. He then personally saw Mo Hua and Mo Shan out.
The other formation masters who were waiting to register exchanged puzzled glances.
They had been waiting and observing for a long time.
This Elder Li was known for his strict adherence to rules and his impersonal attitude. He wasn't the type to be enthusiastic or say unnecessary words.
So why was he being so friendly and talkative to this father and son duo?
They were perplexed.
The registration area was warded with a simple soundproofing formation, so they couldn't hear what Mo Hua and the others were saying. Naturally, they were unaware of what had transpired...
At the same time, what intrigued them even more was Mo Shan.
They didn't know his name or background, but they could see his proud and imposing demeanor, his surging blood qi, and his dignified appearance.
However, despite his impressive aura, he didn't seem like a formation master.
His bearing suggested that he was more likely a physical cultivator skilled in swords and blades rather than someone adept at drawing and painting formations.
Moreover, they were curious about his presence at the formation master assessment with his son.
(End of Chapter)
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