Chapter 522: The Ninth Layer
Chapter 522: The Ninth Layer
An hour later, Mo Hua arrived at Longquan Waterfall.
The rushing river waters, like cascading white silk, tumbled over the edge, forming a majestic waterfall. The water was then torn apart by the rocks, spilling down like a silken veil. It was a sight of breathtaking beauty.
Mo Hua and his companions gazed in awe, their eyes sparkling with wonder. Tongxian City, where they were from, was mostly dry, with more mountains than rivers. Mo Hua had never seen such a grand waterfall before.
Although Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi came from prestigious families, they had been raised within the confines of their clan and had rarely ventured off the main roads during their travels. Even they were captivated by this natural wonder.
The waterfall splashed against the rocks, sending droplets flying that shimmered like jade. The mist from the waterfall blended with the clouds in the mountains, creating a dreamy haze that refracted the sunlight into a dazzling display of colors.
Mo Hua was so entranced that he forgot himself for a moment, but then a question popped into his mind.
"Master, why is this waterfall called Longquan Waterfall?" he asked. "There doesn't seem to be any dragon or spring here."
Indeed, there was neither a dragon nor a spring in sight, and the waterfall didn't particularly resemble a dragon either.
Mr. Zhuang's gaze swept over the waterfall, lingering on the misty rainbow that had formed, and a hint of emotion flashed in his eyes. "There used to be a sword hidden here, named Longquan. Thus, the waterfall also bears the same name."
"Longquan Sword..." Mo Hua murmured, intrigued. "Was it a fine sword?"
Mr. Zhuang paused, his eyes clouded with memories. "It was a remarkable sword, and it suited its owner well..."
It seemed that the mention of the sword had stirred up old recollections, as a faraway look entered Mr. Zhuang's eyes, accompanied by a hint of indescribable regret.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he immediately understood that there was a story behind this. However, he didn't press the issue, knowing that his master was unlikely to share it.
"Longquan Sword..." Mo Hua whispered to himself, committing the name of the sword to memory.
...
After passing Longquan Waterfall, the group continued their journey southward. They still had a long way to go before reaching the border of Dalisan State.
The cultivation world was vast, divided into nine regions known as the Nine States. Each of these states was immense, stretching as far as the eye could see with no end in sight.
Within the Nine States, the boundaries were further delineated based on the quality of the land. Each state had its unique topography, landscapes, and customs. The cities were built amidst the mountains, and the people's clothing and cuisine reflected their local characteristics.
As Mo Hua traveled, he broadened his horizons, gaining new experiences and knowledge. Whenever he came across unusual ingredients, he would purchase them and ask local cultivators about their preparation methods. He would then attempt to cook these dishes for Mr. Zhuang and his senior martial brothers and sisters to try.
Although the results weren't always delicious, the flavors were undoubtedly unique and made for interesting meals.
Old Kuyi, however, was not a fan of these culinary adventures. He preferred a diet of pine nuts, hazelnuts, and other such nuts. When Mo Hua came across these nuts during their travels, he would buy them and roast them for Kuyi.
On occasions where they encountered ancient trees bearing unknown seeds, pine cones, or fruits, Mo Hua would pluck some, ensuring they were non-toxic, and roast them for Kuyi to taste.
In return, Kuyi would offer Mo Hua guidance in magic. "Your Fireball technique is well-learned and well-used, but it has become a little impure."
Mo Hua had noticed this himself. The fireballs he conjured in the real world were a deep red and showed signs of taking on a semi-solid form. However, the fireballs that manifested in his sea of consciousness were a vivid red, and the spiritual energy within them resembled silk threads, layering and intertwining to form a ball of fiery silk.
After explaining this to Kuyi, Mo Hua asked, "Grandpa Kuyi, which direction should I take in my cultivation? Should I deepen my spiritual energy or focus on the silken form?"
Kuyi shook his head. "When faced with two choices, don't immediately think about which one to choose. Instead, consider if it's possible to have both."
"If you can have both, then take both."
"If you can't have both, then make a decision."
"Those cultivators who immediately think in terms of 'either-or' are narrow-minded."
Mo Hua's mouth fell open in surprise. He never expected such words from the usually stern Kuyi.
"But what if I'm forced to make a difficult choice in the future?" Mo Hua asked softly.
"Then eliminate the person forcing you to choose!" Kuyi declared.
Mo Hua was stunned.
"If you get rid of that person, no one can force you to choose, and you can have it all," Kuyi continued.
"But what if I can't beat them? What if I can't eliminate them?" Mo Hua asked.
Kuyi's voice was hoarse as he replied, "Then you have no one to blame but yourself for your weakness. In such situations, whatever choice you make doesn't really matter."
Mo Hua nodded. "So, it's important to be strong so that I can choose what I want in the future..."
Mo Hua pondered this for a moment before realizing he had strayed a little from the topic. He steered the conversation back to magic. "Grandpa Kuyi, can I have both variations of the Fireball technique?"
Kuyi nodded. "The deep red fireball represents the state of your spiritual energy, while the silken fireball represents its form. These two aspects don't conflict, so you can have both. However..."
Kuyi glanced at Mo Hua, "...it won't be easy.
However, instead of explaining, Kuai La produced a wad of cotton from somewhere.
It was just ordinary cotton.
Kuai La focused his palm, and the cotton wad compressed under the force, twisting together to form a single thread.
Mo Hua's eyes gleamed with understanding.
Kuai La then took out another wad of cotton and, following the same method, compressed and twisted it into another thread...
Until there were over ten threads in total.
Kuai La's eyes turned cold, and with a slight movement of his consciousness, the threads instantly contorted and entangled, coalescing into a ball of yarn with seemingly random yet subtly rhythmic twists and turns.
This yarn ball was the same size as the original wad of cotton.
However, its internal structure was entirely different.
Kuai La looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Do you understand?"
Mo Hua frowned and honestly replied, "I understand... a little bit..."
"It doesn't matter. Just remember what you've seen."
With a flick of Kuai La's hand, the freshly spun yarn ball instantly disintegrated, leaving no trace in his palm.
"The intricacies of complex magic often lie in the simplest and most mundane things."
"Take this yarn ball, for example."
"Or the mountains, waters, clouds, rains, grasses, and trees of this world..."
Mo Hua nodded, acknowledging, "Grandpa Kuai, I'll remember, but I don't quite understand yet..."
A slight curve lifted the corners of Kuai La's mouth, forming a smile that didn't quite look like one. "It's fine. Keep observing, learning, and thinking, and one day, you will understand."
"Yes!" Mo Hua nodded firmly.
Kuai La pondered for a moment before continuing, "I'll only demonstrate this magic technique once, so pay close attention."
Mo Hua's spirits lifted.
Kuai La opened his palm, and a fireball appeared. The fireball took on a pale red, gaseous form, and as Kuai La's consciousness guided it, the spiritual energy compressed inward, transforming into a deep red strand of fiery silk.
The fiery silk strand was imbued with astonishing spiritual power, floating in the air.
Then, another fireball emerged from Kuai La's palm.
This fireball, too, condensed into fiery silk.
After about a dozen repetitions, Kuai La's palm no longer held a fireball but instead displayed over a dozen strands of deep red, scorching hot fiery silk.
Kuai La's eyes darkened as he moved his consciousness.
The fiery silk strands entwined, coalescing into a small fireball.
This fireball technique, with its strands of spiritual energy, resembled less a ball of fire and more like a ball of yarn woven from fiery threads.
Multiple compressions, restructuring the spiritual power.
What seemed like a simple fireball technique exuded an astonishingly oppressive force.
With a casual wave of his hand, Kuai La sent the fireball toward the surging river nearby.
A piercing sound reverberated.
Like oil meeting cold water, the river's surface instantly boiled.
Mo Hua turned toward the sound, his mouth falling open in astonishment.
A massive river, a vast lake, was evaporated by the tiny fireball, leaving behind a large, empty cavity.
The surrounding water vapor formed clouds, and steam rose.
After a moment, the river water rushed back in.
The sound of the surging tide echoed.
As the water poured into the cavity, a gigantic whirlpool formed on the once calm surface.
Mo Hua's emotions mirrored the river, unable to settle for a long time.
The spiritual power Kuai La had just used was merely at the Qi Refining level, and the magic technique he employed was only a first-grade fireball.
Yet, a single fireball could possess such destructive power?
Mo Hua stared at Kuai La, his expression a mix of shock and admiration.
Kuai La felt content, but his face remained impassive.
He patted Mo Hua's shoulder and said, "Remember, keep learning and practicing."
Mo Hua nodded slightly, still dazed.
Satisfied, Kuai La walked away.
However, Mr. Zhuang reproached him when he reached his side. "Why did you teach him that?"
"If he can learn it, why shouldn't I teach him?" Kuai La retorted.
"You're teaching him this when he doesn't even know what it is?" Mr. Zhuang argued.
Kuai La remained silent for a moment before quietly responding, "I'm afraid that if I don't teach him now, I may never get another chance..."
Turning his head, Kuai La looked at Mr. Zhuang, "Isn't that what you're thinking, too?"
Mr. Zhuang paused at his words, falling silent for a long while before letting out a resigned sigh.
...
Mo Hua, on the other hand, felt invigorated.
What a powerful fireball!
Its might far exceeded his expectations.
Mo Hua couldn't wait to try it himself but soon discovered that he couldn't replicate it.
The principle seemed simple—treat spiritual power like cotton, first condensing it into strands, then weaving those strands into a ball of spiritual energy yarn...
But in reality, it was entirely different.
Mo Hua's consciousness was already quite strong, having reached the peak of thirteen meridians in the Qi Refining realm. He had cultivated the Heavenly Deviation Technique and learned the Spirit Pivot Array, and his control over spiritual power was no small feat.
Yet, despite his strong consciousness and meticulous control, he couldn't even manage to condense his spiritual power into strands, let alone weave them.
Mo Hua was taken aback, feeling a twinge of disappointment.
But after some thought, he realized it made sense.
Such a powerful technique shouldn't be easy to master; otherwise, it would be nothing but a pipe dream.
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Whether it was arrays or spells, there was still much for him to learn.
As long as he kept studying, one day he would surely master the profound arrays and gain control over powerful spells.
...
The rest of the journey was mostly uneventful.
Although they traveled day and night, sleeping under the stars and enduring the elements, it wasn't particularly arduous.
Mo Hua, ever resourceful, created varied and flavorful dishes with locally sourced ingredients, and his culinary skills improved day by day.
The carriage proceeded at a leisurely pace.
Mr. Zhuang napped inside while Mo Hua and his companions gathered around a small table, either drawing arrays, reading, or practicing their cultivation techniques.
Whenever they stopped to rest and had some spare time, Mo Hua would play a game of chess with Old Kuyi.
They played the simple Five Elements Chess.
The two of them enjoyed the game immensely.
Although Mr. Zhuang had witnessed their games before, he was still somewhat surprised to see that Mo Hua could actually play on par with Old Kuyi.
Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, on the other hand, didn't quite understand the appeal.
Occasionally, when Mo Hua went out to buy ingredients, walk Dabi, or search for arrays, they would also play a game or two with Old Kuyi.
Without exception, though, they were rejected by him.
Old Kuyi complained that Bai Zixi was too clever, her mind like a crystal palace, always one step ahead in the game.
As for Bai Zisheng, Old Kuyi found him too impetuous.
It was fine for him to eat all day, but when it came to chess, he only knew how to "eat" the pieces without any regard for strategy.
Mo Hua was the better player.
When playing chess, he did so naturally, neither overthinking nor making reckless moves.
Of course, it also helped that the two of them were evenly matched, playing without any ulterior motives or focus on winning, purely for the enjoyment of the game.
Mo Hua often played chess with Old Kuyi.
In return, Old Kuyi would carve puppets for Mo Hua.
At first, they were just large and small tigers, but as Old Kuyi's coughing fits from eating too many pine nuts became more frequent, he started accepting Mo Hua's various requests.
Mo Hua asked him to carve all sorts of strange and fantastic beasts, from wolves and tigers to rare and exotic demons.
Whenever Mo Hua saw a new design he liked, he would pester Old Kuyi until he agreed to carve it for him.
After the carving was complete, Mo Hua would draw the Spirit Pivot Array on it.
Then, he could control a whole group of demon puppets, chasing, playing, and fighting on the grass, creating a lively and novel spectacle.
Since he had carved puppets for Mo Hua, Old Kuyi didn't want to show favoritism.
So, he also carved puppets for Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.
For Bai Zisheng, he carved a majestic azure dragon, which, despite its grandeur, couldn't fly. Even after Mo Hua added the Spirit Pivot Array, it could only crawl on the ground.
For Bai Zixi, he carved a colorful phoenix.
In addition to the Spirit Pivot Array, Mo Hua also drew the Five Colors Array on the phoenix's wings.
When it spread its feathers, they resembled a peacock's magnificent display, shimmering with spiritual light and vibrant colors, creating an absolutely stunning sight...
From then on, whenever they had free time, Bai Zisheng would play a beast-fighting game with Mo Hua, controlling his azure dragon to battle against Mo Hua's tiger puppets and other demon beasts in a fierce contest.
Bai Zixi would sit by, holding her exquisite phoenix, watching the two of them play with a gentle smile on her face, her eyes like clear autumn water reflecting a hint of mirth...
...
And so, the group continued their journey.
They traversed mountains and rivers, witnessed the rising and setting sun, and observed the ever-changing clouds.
Along the way, they encountered many people and events.
Some were unscrupulous bandit cultivators, vicious criminal cultivators, or cultivators who had strayed from the righteous path.
However, most of them weren't very skilled, with mediocre cultivation and abilities.
Bai Zisheng alone was enough to hold them off, brandishing his spear with unwavering determination.
Mo Hua would occasionally lend a hand, using his Water Prison Technique to control the battlefield or finishing them off with his Fireball Technique. Together, they easily defeated these foes.
Most of the other encounters were with struggling and destitute solitary cultivators.
Just like in Tongxian City, Nan Yue City, and other ordinary small cultivator cities, the lives of solitary cultivators were often filled with hardship.
Those who stood at the top saw only the beautiful and glamorous aspects of life.
Only by walking the earth did one truly understand the harsh realities and sufferings of the world.
Array Masters should strive to comprehend the Dao and bring benefit to all living beings.
Mo Hua kept these words in mind, and whenever he met someone in need or came across a difficult situation, he would do his best to help, drawing arrays to ease their burdens.
After half a year of traveling, Mo Hua finally arrived at the borders of Dalisan State, one of the nine major states in the cultivation world.
By this time, Mo Hua was fourteen years old, and his cultivation had reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining, just one step away from Foundation Establishment.
(End of Chapter)
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