Chapter 568: Scarcity
Chapter 568: Scarcity
After that, Mo Hua paid a visit to Zhou Zhangsi.
Zhou Zhangsi was very enthusiastic and grateful to Mo Hua.
He was quite old and had held the position of Zhangsi for many years. Although he had been diligent, his achievements were meager, and he had originally planned to retire and spend the rest of his days in peace.
However, he never expected that in just a few short years, Tongxian City would undergo such remarkable changes.
Establishing an artifact refinery and an elixir refinery, constructing grand formations, slaying powerful demons, and ensuring the peace of the realm—these were no small feats.
As the Zhangsi, his accomplishments could be considered "illustrious."
Zhou Zhangsi was busy with affairs, but he still took some time off to brew and savor fine tea with Mo Hua, chatting leisurely.
Most of their conversation revolved around the various stories and happenings in Tongxian City during Mo Hua's travels over the past few years.
As they chatted, Mo Hua casually inquired about Zhang Lan. He still held a sense of fondness for this "passing, unnamed, kind" uncle.
Zhou Zhangsi felt relieved and shared everything about Zhang Lan with Mo Hua.
Zhang Lan had returned to his clan.
The distance between Zhang's residence and Tongxian City was vast.
Zhang Lan had chosen the remote and insignificant Tongxian City as a place to hide from the clan's internal strife. Now that he had achieved Foundation Establishment, he could no longer avoid returning.
As for what happened after he went back, Zhou Zhangsi had no knowledge of the clan's internal matters.
Mo Hua felt a bit disappointed.
He had wanted to meet Uncle Zhang Lan again and "incidentally" boast about his own achievement of Foundation Establishment...
But now that Zhang Lan had returned to his clan, Mo Hua didn't know when they would meet again.
He wondered if, by the time they met again, Zhang Lan would have found his Dao companion...
He hoped that Zhang Lan wouldn't be forced into a marriage by his family, marrying a woman he didn't love, only to fall in love with another he couldn't have...
As Mo Hua chatted with Zhou Zhangsi, his little head moved slightly as he recalled the cliched storybooks he had read, unconsciously filling in a dramatic tale of love and hatred for Zhang Lan...
After a while, when they finished drinking tea, Mo Hua bade farewell.
He didn't want to disturb Zhou Zhangsi further, given his busy schedule.
Zhou Zhangsi personally saw Mo Hua off at the door. After returning to his duties, he paused for a moment, thinking of Mo Hua, and shook his head with a hint of regret and concern.
"So much potential..."
"But... Tongxian City is too shallow to nurture a great dragon..."
...
After taking his leave from Zhou Zhangsi, Mo Hua found time to visit his childhood friends who had grown up playing together.
Among them, most had become demon hunters, gradually maturing and taking on responsibilities.
Dazhuan was still apprenticing under Master Chen, refining artifacts. His craftsmanship had become exquisite, much to Master Chen's satisfaction.
However, Dahuhu and the other two were no longer in Tongxian City.
Mo Hua asked Dazhuan and learned the reason.
As Tongxian City prospered, the number of visiting cultivators increased. A passing elder from a sect saw that Dahuhu and the other two had decent body-refining roots, so he accepted all three as disciples and took them back to the sect for cultivation.
The sect was called "Dahuang Sect," located south of Lizhou, bordering the barbaric wilderness. The journey was long, and it would probably take several years or even more than a decade for them to return.
"Dahuang Sect..."
Mo Hua quietly remembered the name, unsure if he would ever have the chance to visit the sect and meet Dahuhu and the others again.
...
Mo Hua wandered around for a few more days, meeting everyone he wanted to see. With nothing else to do, he suddenly thought of the big tiger.
He asked his mother to help him prepare a large amount of "big" fish jerky.
The little cat demon had transformed into a big tiger, still a second-grade demon beast. Small fish jerky wouldn't be enough for it, so they had to make larger ones.
Tongxian City had more mountains than water, and they couldn't raise big fish.
These fish were brought in from outside. Some were huge, taller than Mo Hua, while the smallest were at least a foot or two in length.
The fish scales were thick, their appearance strange, and they had a strong fishy smell.
Cultivators rarely ate them, so they were affordable despite their large quantity.
But based on Mo Hua's experience as a demon hunter, he guessed that the big cat-like tiger would definitely like them.
Live creatures couldn't be kept in storage bags.
Dead fish could.
Mo Hua used several large storage bags to pack several large bundles of fish jerky. Taking advantage of the early morning, he embraced the sunrise, slung the fish jerky over his shoulder, and ventured into the Dah Hei Mountain.
Mo Hua searched deep in the mountains for a long time before discovering the cat—now a big tiger—gnawing on the bones of an unknown demon beast in a cave.
Sensing the presence of an outsider, the big tiger instantly became alert, its eyes fierce.
But when it saw that it was Mo Hua, the tiger paused for a moment before returning to gnawing on the bones.
Mo Hua offered it the fish jerky, but the big tiger sniffed it and frowned, even growling softly as if rejecting it.
It was a big tiger, not a big house cat.
Big tigers had their pride.
"Not to your taste?"
Mo Hua was puzzled.
He remembered that when the tiger was little, it had loved eating small fish jerky.
However, the big tiger didn't want to pay attention to him, focusing on licking the bones.
Mo Hua didn't force it. With nothing else to do, he sat at the cave entrance, taking in the scenery of the deep mountains.
The big tiger licked the bones clean, unable to get any more meat off them. Its gaze fell on the fish in front of it, and it hesitated for a while. When it saw that Mo Hua wasn't looking, it secretly grabbed a fish and swallowed it whole...
It had swallowed too quickly to taste anything, so it glanced at Mo Hua and then tried another one...
Then, unable to resist, it tasted another one...
As it ate, the big tiger suddenly looked up and found Mo Hua staring at it, a smile on his face.
The big tiger was no longer shy, chewing on the fish jerky with big bites, its eyes narrowed into a slit, and it even rubbed its fluffy head against Mo Hua...
...
And so, Mo Hua's days in Tongxian City gradually settled down.
Every day, he cultivated, studied array formations, spent time with his parents, met with friends for tea, occasionally ventured into the mountains for a change of scenery, and fed fish jerky to the big tiger.
However, when he was alone, a hint of loneliness would sometimes surface in his eyes.
This hint of sadness could be hidden from others, but not from Liu Ruhua.
Liu Ruhua thought for a moment and asked softly,
"Little Hua, you came back alone. What about Zi Sheng and Zi Xi?"
Mo Hua was taken aback, his eyes dimming, "Senior Brother and Senior Sister went home. The Bai family is very far away..."
Liu Ruhua felt a sense of loss and asked, "Then... what about Master Zhuang?"
Mo Hua shook his head, not knowing how to explain. After a long while, he whispered, "Master... he also went to a very far place, and may never come back..."
Liu Ruhua's eyes showed a touch of sorrow.
She gently hugged Mo Hua, comforting him, "You're still young, and there's a long journey ahead of you. If it's meant to be, you will meet again..."
"Mmm," Mo Hua agreed softly.
The sadness in his heart eased slightly.
...
The next day, he went to Nan Mountain, just outside Tongxian City.
Nan Mountain was secluded and picturesque.
Atop Nan Mountain was the "Sitting Forgetfulness Residence."
Master Zhuang had lived in seclusion here, and Mo Hua, along with his senior brother and sister, had studied under him.
But now, everything was gone.
At the end of the small path, there was nothing but emptiness.
The mountain residence, the ancient pagoda tree, the bamboo grove, the pond, and the fish within it were all gone.
On his way up and down the mountain, he no longer encountered his senior brother and sister.
There was no one else on the mountain, no one resting in the bamboo cottage, waking up from a nap as the gentle breeze blew through, no one to teach him array formations or answer his countless questions...
Under the ancient pagoda tree, he sparred and played with his senior brother while his senior sister read a book nearby...
Master was taking a nap, and Kui Lao was playing chess...
These scenes were gradually becoming blurred.
It was as if it had all been a dream, shrouded in a layer of mist that blurred the line between reality and fantasy.
The past was forgotten...
Mo Hua's emotions were mixed, and a hint of melancholy tinged his clear eyes, but it soon dissipated.
It was like the morning mist, dispelled by the rising dawn.
"We will meet again..."
Mo Hua murmured.
He had a lot more to do.
The road ahead was long and winding, and he now had to consider his path after the Foundation Establishment.
...
Mo Hua sat quietly at the mountain peak, calming his emotions before falling into silent contemplation.
He had achieved Foundation Establishment...
His spiritual sense had only fourteen threads, which placed him at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. However, due to the qualitative change in his spiritual sense, it had become as refined as liquid mercury, setting him apart from other cultivators in terms of "quality."
As for what benefits this difference would bring, Mo Hua had not yet studied it in detail.
But at the very least, it laid the foundation for his path of "spiritual sense enlightenment."
Moreover, the path he was on was entirely different from other methods of spiritual sense enlightenment.
However, aside from his spiritual sense, Mo Hua found that his Foundation Establishment was rather "messy."
His spiritual energy was weak.
His spiritual root was not strong, and his cultivation technique did not focus on spiritual energy.
So, even though he had achieved Foundation Establishment, his spiritual power was considerably weaker compared to cultivators of the same level.
Not to mention when compared to geniuses like his senior brother and sister...
Weak spiritual power meant a weak physical body.
This was within Mo Hua's expectations.
He had a frail body since birth, and although his blood and qi had strengthened after Foundation Establishment, it was only a slight improvement compared to the Qi Refining stage. Among Foundation Establishment cultivators, his physical body was still at the bottom.
Additionally, the foundation-level spells were also a headache.
Mo Hua was on the path of "spiritual cultivation," and his livelihood depended on "spells."
Now that he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he naturally had to learn second-grade spells.
But he had no way of learning second-grade spells...
Up until now, the only second-grade spell he had learned was the Fireball Technique...
Because the Fireball Technique was a basic spell, commonly seen, and the most abundant among spells of all grades.
Where there were a few grades in the current state, there would inevitably be corresponding grades of the Fireball Technique.
On his way back from Dalisanzhou, Mo Hua had collected some secret manuals of the Fireball Technique, cross-referenced them, and through his own insights, he had mastered the second-grade Fireball Technique.
Although it was far from the mastery he had achieved with the first-grade Fireball Technique, the power was indeed stronger, and it could barely be used.
The Waterwalking Art was a unique skill of the Zhang family.
When Zhang Lan taught him, he only instructed him on the first-grade version, not considering the possibility of a second-grade level.
After all, Zhang Lan himself was only at the ninth layer of Qi Refining back then, and he never expected Mo Hua to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage so quickly.
The Water Prison Art was quite obscure.
Mo Hua did not possess any second-grade manuals for this art.
The Concealment Art was even more obscure.
Likewise, Mo Hua did not have access to second-grade manuals for this art.
A cultivator's strength was largely determined by their cultivation stage.
While first-grade spells could still be used, their power and effectiveness would be significantly diminished compared to second-grade spells.
The first-grade Waterwalking Art, no matter how exquisite, could at best match the lower-end second-grade movement techniques.
The first-grade Water Prison Art could trap a Qi Refining cultivator for a few breaths, but when used on a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it could only restrict them for an instant, unable to bind or hinder their movements.
The first-grade Concealment Art fared a little better.
Since the core of this art depended on the cultivator's spiritual sense, and Mo Hua possessed an exceptionally strong spiritual sense, the effectiveness of this art was heightened, making it difficult for others to detect him.
However, in Mo Hua's current opinion, having achieved the Foundation Establishment stage, he noticed several flaws in his Concealment Art.
It could be used, but only barely.
If he had the opportunity, he would need to find a way to learn the second-grade version of the Concealment Art.
The second-grade Water Prison Art, the second-grade Concealment Art, the second-grade Waterwalking Art...
These arts were either obscure or unique skills, and Mo Hua had no way of learning them.
Mo Hua sighed.
Once again, he deeply felt the importance of a cultivator's "inheritance."
Most families or sects would have buildings like the "Scripture Pavilion," "Library Pavilion," or "Formation Pavilion," where they would extensively collect and preserve a wide range of cultivation manuals, from low to high grades, rare and ancient to obscure, encompassing all aspects of cultivation, including martial techniques, magical arts, formation techniques, pill formulas, and artifact refining manuals.
Everything a cultivator could need was available...
The larger and more influential the sect, the more comprehensive and complete their collection would be, and the deeper their heritage.
The disciples of these families or sects could then focus solely on their cultivation, without having to worry about seeking out rare cultivation manuals.
However, this was not the case for solitary cultivators.
They had to find and learn everything on their own, often at a significant cost.
Noble families monopolized these inheritances, profited from them, and in doing so, cut off the path to cultivation for most solitary cultivators, solidifying their power over them for thousands, even tens of thousands of years.
Without an inheritance, progress was difficult.
Mo Hua sighed once more.
He had been aware of this before, but now that his cultivation had improved and his experiences had broadened, he felt the weight of this issue even more.
The same could be said for formation techniques, but the situation was a little different.
Mo Hua possessed an extremely profound formation technique inheritance.
The Celestial Machine Calculation and the Celestial Machine Stratagem, with their intricate interplay of calculation and stratagem, were supreme methods for utilizing spiritual sense, allowing one to comprehend and control formations.
These were techniques that could be applied regardless of the formation's grade.
Although Mo Hua's cultivation level and experience were still lacking, preventing him from mastering these techniques to their fullest extent, he had no doubt that there were even deeper mysteries to uncover within the Celestial Machine Calculation and the Celestial Machine Stratagem.
However, the fact that he could study both the Celestial Machine Calculation and the Celestial Machine Stratagem was already extraordinary.
The Celestial Machine Calculation, in particular, was the foundation of his mysterious and eccentric master's path.
The Eccentric Master, a master of the demonic path, was renowned for his exceptional formation techniques, his heart corrupted by demonic influences, striking fear into the hearts of orthodox cultivators with but a mention of his name.
Even learning just the basics from such a master was a great benefit.
Moreover, the Celestial Machine Stratagem could hardly be considered "basics"...
In addition to the spiritual sense techniques, Mo Hua also possessed the Five Elements Formation Stream Chart...
Within it was sealed the "Five Elements Origin Pattern," derived from the Five Elements Formation Stream's ancestors using the Return to Origin Calculation.
Embedded within the Origin Pattern was a vast formation system encompassing all five elements.
Without exception, these were all top-tier formation technique inheritances.
However, the problem was that they were too top-tier.
What Mo Hua lacked were the most basic and simple inheritances, namely...
The basics of second-grade formations...
He needed to know what constituted a second-grade formation.
How should the formation patterns be drawn? How should the formation core be laid out? How should the formation eye be constructed?
What was the fundamental difference between a first-grade and a second-grade formation?
Mo Hua had some understanding of these concepts, but his comprehension was not deep enough.
Now that he had reached this point, Mo Hua realized that there were still many gaps and deficiencies in his knowledge.
He would have to find a way to become a second-grade formation master and create formations that were truly ranked as second-grade...
(End of Chapter)
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