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Chapter 571: Accepting the Child's Ring
Chapter 571: Accepting the Child's Ring
In the distant Dragon Path Mountains, within the boundaries of the Fifth-Rank Qian Xue State...
"A mecca for learning..."
Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.
With numerous sects and gatherings of peerless geniuses, did it imply a comprehensive foundation in the Dao and a complete inheritance of array formations?
Mo Hua had only studied the Five Elements Arrays up to this point.
However, in addition to the Five Elements, there were numerous other categories of arrays, each with its own unique system.
For example, the Two Instruments, Three Powers, Four Symbols, Six Combinations, Seven Stars, and Eight Trigrams.
Mo Hua had only glimpsed scant mentions of these array systems in books, with vague and incomplete descriptions, let alone any true and concrete inheritance.
Mo Hua fell into deep thought.
His master probably knew how to use arrays like the Two Instruments, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, and Eight Trigrams, but he had only taught Mo Hua the Five Elements arrays.
Perhaps it was because the Five Elements arrays were the most fundamental and widely applied.
It would be better to master the Five Elements first and build a solid foundation before branching out to other array systems, making it easier to understand the rest through analogy.
However, the biggest reason was probably...
His master knew that his time was limited, and although he wanted to teach Mo Hua many things, he no longer had the time to do so.
"Master..."
Mo Hua's eyes dimmed slightly.
After a moment, he shook off his melancholy and continued to study the map of Qian State.
The map was marked with numerous sects.
And among the boundaries of Qian Xue State, the majority were "cultivation sects."
These "cultivation sects" were different from industrial sects, reclusive sects, and spiritual merchant sects.
Reclusive sects kept to themselves, secluded from the outside world and relatively closed off.
Industrial sects and spiritual merchant sects, on the other hand, were profit-oriented. They generated income by managing cultivation industries or operating businesses that sold arrays, pills, talismans, and artifacts.
While they also accepted disciples, it wasn't their primary focus.
The cultivation sects, on the other hand, were founded with the purpose of imparting the Dao and its teachings. Their main occupation was "teaching cultivation methods and imparting the Dao," and they relied primarily on the disciples' offerings of spirit stones and tuition fees for sustenance.
The cultivation sects might also have some side businesses, but they were minimal.
Mo Hua had learned about these differences during his travels, hearing about them from various people he met.
He realized that there were indeed significant variations between sects and their motivations.
Some focused on imparting the Dao, while others were driven solely by profit.
Cultivation Sects...
"Teaching cultivation methods and imparting the Dao..."
Mo Hua couldn't help but wonder, "Can I go there?"
He thought about it for a moment and then shook his head.
Qian Xue State was a fifth-rank state, and the tuition fees at the cultivation sects within were probably exorbitant...
He wasn't sure if the "windfall" he had earned would be enough to cover the costs.
Even if he could afford the fees, would they even accept him?
Gathering of peerless geniuses...
These sects were probably very strict about accepting disciples.
As Mo Hua flipped through the map, he found that it had sparse text and lacked detailed explanations.
"Should I ask someone about it?"
Mo Hua frowned, pondering for a while before deciding that the most suitable person to ask was Zhou, the chief administrator.
Zhang Lan might have known, but he had already returned home.
Zhou was also from a family background, and although his family wasn't large, he must have had experience and knowledge to have become a chief administrator in the court.
Mo Hua went to the court again and handed the map of Qian State to Zhou for his perusal.
"Qian Xue State?"
Zhou was slightly surprised by the mention of it.
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded.
Zhou pondered for a moment before saying, "Please wait a moment..."
He then took out several books from his storage bag, and Mo Hua caught a glimpse of titles like History of Cultivation and A Survey of the Nine States on the covers.
"Qian State is too vast, and it's quite far from here. I can't remember all the details..."
Zhou carefully perused the books and then nodded, "Yes, that's right..."
"Qian Xue State is indeed the foremost cultivation mecca in all the Nine States, renowned for its numerous sects and thriving academic culture..."
"In the Nine States, any genius cultivator who has achieved the Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty will usually head to Qian Xue State to seek out the best sect to join. There, they can find eminent teachers, interact with geniuses from various states, cultivate and study the Dao, and lay a solid foundation for their future path..."
"Why do they all go to Qian Xue State?"
Mo Hua was a little perplexed. "Is it because it's a fifth-rank state?"
"Not necessarily," Zhou explained patiently to Mo Hua. "While cultivation is divided into nine ranks, that classification is from ancient times, and nine represents the extreme number of heaven. It pertains to the immortal realm."
"After the establishment of the court, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually diminished, and it has been a long time since anyone has achieved immortality."
"Forget about the nine ranks; even the seventh and eighth ranks are beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators."
"A fifth-rank state is already unattainable for most cultivators..."
"However, the reason why Qian Xue State is considered the foremost cultivation mecca is not just because of its rank..."
Zhou paused for a moment and then continued,
"Cultivators emphasize 'wealth, method, companions, and land'..."
"'Wealth' refers to cultivation resources, such as spirit stones and spiritual objects;"
"'Method' refers to cultivation techniques, spells, martial arts, secret techniques that are not passed down, as well as the various methods pertaining to arrays, pills, talismans, and artifacts;"
"'Companions' refer to like-minded cultivators who share similar aspirations and a steadfast commitment to the Dao. They exchange insights, inspire each other, and jointly improve their cultivation;"
"'Land' refers to the famous mountains and rivers, the foundation of the Dao..."
"Qian Xue State possesses all four—wealth, method, companions, and land. With a cultivation history spanning nearly ten thousand years, it boasts numerous sects, each founded on the transmission of the Dao. It has a complete range of inheritances, which is why it's the foremost cultivation state in the Nine States!"
Listening to this, Mo Hua felt a mix of emotions—a sense of longing and wonder. He couldn't help but ask, "Chief Administrator, are the sects in Qian Xue State very strict about accepting disciples?"
"Of course," Zhou nodded. "Achieving Foundation Establishment before the age of twenty is just the basic requirement..."
"Additionally, they will also look at the type of foundation you've established."
"The disciples of influential families and sects refine their realms, consolidate their cultivation, and circulate their spiritual energy throughout their bodies, achieving the utmost perfection before establishing their foundation at the age of seventeen or eighteen."
"That is what can be considered a true Foundation Establishment."
"Cultivators from lesser sects are often impatient and hasty. Their blood essence is not condensed, and their spiritual energy is insufficient, leading them to rush into Foundation Establishment around the age of fifteen or sixteen. This kind of foundation doesn't truly count..."
Zhou paused after speaking, glancing at the fifteen-year-old Mo Hua, whose blood essence and spiritual energy were both meager. He added, a bit awkwardly, "I'm not talking about you..."
"It's fine, it's fine.
Moreover, he had achieved enlightenment through his divine sense, forging a foundation in his divine sense, so his blood energy and spiritual power didn't matter as much.
Seeing that Mo Hua didn't mind, Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "And that's just for the foundation cultivation. The other requirements are also extremely strict..."
"First is the spiritual root. In the Qian Xue State, most sects only accept those with superior spiritual roots..."
"Some of the more influential and ancient sects, ranked among the top ten, only accept disciples with supreme spiritual roots..."
Mo Hua's mouth hung open slightly. "They only accept supreme spiritual roots... Are the requirements really that strict?"
Zhou nodded, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. "The spiritual root is the foundation of a cultivator's path. The better the root, the higher the grade of cultivation techniques one can practice, and the more profound their spiritual power will become. It also makes breaking through to higher realms easier, allowing one to go further on the path of cultivation..."
"However," Zhou continued, "even among superior spiritual roots, the difference between the highest grade and the middle grade is minuscule, and the gap isn't that significant."
"The reason those sects only accept the highest grade is simply because there are too many geniuses, and the competition is too intense."
"This threshold keeps getting raised over and over again..."
"Several thousand years ago, those with middle-grade spiritual roots who possessed unwavering determination and unique talents could still be accepted into these sects, and some even became instructors or elders."
"But now..."
Zhou sighed. "Among the superior spiritual roots, there are none from the Han Tribe, not to mention solitary cultivators like yourself. If your spiritual root isn't good enough, you won't even get through the door..."
"That's why cultivators often say that in this world, the moment a person is born and their spiritual root is determined, their fate is also sealed..."
"And that's just the spiritual root..."
Zhou went on, "There are also considerations of family background, social status, and the depth of one's inheritance."
"Without a prominent background or a noble family, it's even more difficult to enter those sects."
"Some sects even investigate the parents of prospective disciples, inquiring about their spiritual roots, cultivation levels, and social statuses..."
Mo Hua found this utterly absurd and couldn't help but sigh, feeling a bit dejected.
It seemed that he wouldn't be able to go to the Qian Xue State after all.
Just the requirement of a superior spiritual root was enough to bar him from entry, not to mention his middle-low grade Five Elements spiritual root.
Mo Hua's expression turned a bit glum.
Zhou, seeing the look on Mo Hua's face, felt a twinge of sympathy and said, "There are also some smaller sects that don't have such high requirements for spiritual roots, but..."
But their inheritances were bound to be shallow.
Even if one joined them, it was uncertain if one could learn anything truly valuable.
Zhou heaved a soft sigh.
The foundations of solitary cultivators were indeed weak, and for them, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage was already the limit.
He still hoped that Mo Hua could join a sect in the Qian Xue State, where he could systematically learn about cultivation, broaden his horizons, and make up for his shortcomings, thus paving the way for a brighter future...
However, he also knew that those places were gathering grounds for influential families and geniuses, and they held deep prejudices against outsiders.
Even crossing the threshold would be incredibly difficult, especially for a solitary cultivator like Mo Hua...
Zhou didn't say anything further, only offering a few words of comfort to Mo Hua. Aside from that, he felt helpless to provide any more assistance...
Mo Hua felt a twinge of disappointment, but after some thought, he didn't take it too much to heart.
Having the opportunity to go to the Qian Xue State and join a sect would indeed be wonderful.
But if such an opportunity didn't present itself, it wasn't a big deal.
One shouldn't force things in life.
Mo Hua returned home and continued studying for a while, practicing his array formations. After exhausting his divine sense, he felt a bit weary and took out the map of the Qian Xue State to browse through once more.
After looking it over several times, he put it away.
Since his spiritual root wasn't sufficient for entry, there was no point in looking at it anymore, so he stored the map back into his storage bag.
Then, he thought for a moment and felt that this map of the Nine States was rather valuable and might come in handy in the future, so he took it out of his storage bag and placed it back into his storage ring.
The storage ring wasn't large, but Mo Hua had small hands, so he could only wear it on his left thumb.
This ring had been given to him by his master, and it had been blood-contracted, binding it specifically to him. Its style was simple and unassuming.
Only Mo Hua could see it; it was invisible to others.
This storage ring also had the effect of hiding one's aura, making it difficult for others to discern his true strengths and weaknesses, similar to the spiritual artifacts that prevented divine sense probing, which his senior martial brothers and sisters possessed.
Aside from these functions, it had no other use.
However, because it had been a gift from his master, Mo Hua cherished it greatly.
Mo Hua put away the map of the Qian Xue State into his storage ring and then took stock of the other items within it. Suddenly, he paused, his eyes widening in surprise.
There was an additional jade slip in his storage ring.
Mo Hua had no recollection of this jade slip at all.
He had never seen it before among the items in his storage ring.
"Why is there an extra jade slip?"
Mo Hua was puzzled. He took out the jade slip and saw that it was grayish and appeared rather old, suggesting that it had been there for quite some time.
With a sweep of his divine sense, he saw three large characters etched on the jade slip:
"Qian Dao Sect."
Below it was a line of smaller characters:
"He who bears this token shall not be refused entry."
It was written in the tone of an imperial edict...
In other words, anyone who held this token and wished to join the sect could not be turned away?
Mo Hua furrowed his brows.
"Qian Dao Sect..."
The name seemed vaguely familiar...
Mo Hua took out the map of the Qian Xue State from his storage ring once more and scanned it briefly. Indeed, there was a sect in the Qian Xue State by the name of "Qian Dao Sect."
Moreover, it was one of the four major sects in the Qian Xue State!
Mo Hua was astonished.
This was...
The Qian Dao Sect's entry token?!
"How did this token end up in my storage ring? Did my master leave this for me?"
Mo Hua was lost in thought.
The storage ring had been given to him by his master, and only he knew of its existence.
Others couldn't even open it.
Anything inside must have been left by his master...
"The Qian Dao Sect's entry token..."
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and soon understood his master's intention.
His master had given him this token, which had the name of a sect on it.
If he had the opportunity to learn about this sect and its location, he could use the token to join them.
But if he had no such opportunity and remained ignorant of the sect, then the token was as good as useless.
Although he had learned the Tianji Yansuan and secretly studied the Tianji Guiyuan, and now had the Five Elements Formation Chart, his foundation was weak, and his knowledge of formations was limited to just the Five Elements.
He needed to join a sect to learn more comprehensive knowledge about cultivation.
To understand formations beyond the Five Elements and strive for higher realms of cultivation...
His master had thought of all this...
Mo Hua's eyes stung with emotion.
He opened the map of Qian State again and located the destination of the entry token.
"The Qian Dao Sect in the fifth-rank Qian Xue State..."
Mo Hua understood the situation clearly.
Relying solely on his own devices and secluded cultivation would result in slow progress.
It would be difficult for him to attain a high level of mastery in formations.
Moreover, after the Foundation Establishment, he had no idea how to stabilize his cultivation base, improve, and break through to the Golden Core realm, let alone what came after that...
He knew nothing about these advanced stages of cultivation.
Cultivation base was the foundation of a cultivator.
Without sufficient cultivation, he would forever remain a Foundation Establishment cultivator, always just a first-rate or, at most, a second-rate formation master.
He would never be able to learn the extremely profound formations that defied the heavens and manipulated life and death...
And he would never be able to... save his master...
He would never be able to repay his master's kindness.
However, Mo Hua felt conflicted.
He knew that he would have to leave Tongxian City eventually.
"But what about Father and Mother..."
Mo Hua furrowed his brows and sighed deeply.
What would happen to his parents if he left?
In the following days, Mo Hua was in low spirits.
His mother, Liu Ruhua, noticed his mood and asked one evening after dinner, "Little Hua, do you have something on your mind?"
Mo Hua was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, Mother, it's nothing..."
Liu Ruhua shook her head and looked at Mo Hua gently.
A mother knows her child best.
Mo Hua was her son, and no matter how intelligent he was or how talented he was with formations, she could still see the worries in his eyes.
Mo Hua met his mother's gaze, hesitated, and then told her about the Qian Dao Sect.
"Qian State..." Liu Ruhua murmured, "Are Zi Sheng and Zi Xi also in Qian State?"
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "But Qian State is huge, and they might be far away, so I may not be able to see them."
"I see..."
Liu Ruhua looked a little disappointed but soon said firmly, "Then you should go."
Mo Hua was surprised. "But, Mother..."
Liu Ruhua shook her head. "A parent's love for their child is deep and far-reaching..."
"Now that you've achieved Foundation Establishment, I'm happy, but I also know that this is as far as it will go if you stay here."
"If you were a hundred or two hundred years old, I wouldn't say anything."
"But you're only fifteen... You can't stay here and waste your potential forever..."
"I'm reluctant to let you go, but I don't want to see your talent go to waste."
"Moreover, there's also Mr. Zhuang..."
Liu Ruhua sighed. "I know you haven't told me everything, but I understand that Mr. Zhuang must have encountered some calamity and may not be safe. Otherwise, you wouldn't have returned alone..."
"Mr. Zhuang has done a great favor for you, for our family."
"One should repay a drop of water with a gushing spring."
"I don't know Mr. Zhuang's cultivation level, but I'm sure it's not low. With your current realm, you probably can't be of much help to him."
"But you must remember this favor."
"Even if you can't help now, you must keep it in your heart and repay Mr. Zhuang's kindness in the future. Even if it's beyond your abilities, you must still do your best!"
Liu Ruhua's gentle expression held a hint of determination.
"Yes, Mother!" Mo Hua nodded solemnly.
"But what about Father..." Mo Hua still had some concerns.
"You don't have to worry about your father at all..." Liu Ruhua ruffled Mo Hua's hair affectionately.
"Your father is a demon hunter. He hunts demons for a living. When you were young, he used to go into the mountains for long periods, fighting demon beasts and earning spirit stones to support our family."
"He has been silently shouldering the burden of this family for a long time..."
"Although his cultivation is only at the Refining Qi realm, you don't have to worry about him."
"Your father's biggest regret is that he couldn't provide you with the best resources, whether it was cultivation techniques or formations."
"If you truly have the ambition to seek the Dao and learn from others, he may not say it, but he will definitely be happy for you in his heart..."
Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua and smiled softly.
"You've achieved Foundation Establishment, but you're only fifteen years old. It's not yet time for you to worry about your parents."
"Just do what you want to do."
"Don't hesitate, just forge ahead..."
"But there's one thing..."
Liu Ruhua reminded him, "Little Hua, remember, to your father and me, your life is the most precious thing."
"No matter what, you must take care of yourself."
"Yes!" Mo Hua was touched, and he nodded. "Mother, don't worry. No one can kill me!"
His eyes flashed, blending innocence with cunning, one eye capable of calculating heaven's secrets, the other holding a hint of the bizarre, his destiny marked by the crimson terror of the Corpse King.
Far away in Nanyue City, the miner cultivated with incense, his wishes empowering him, the laws of cause and effect protecting him.
Liu Ruhua was taken aback.
She felt that Mo Hua was somehow different, but when she looked closely, he seemed the same as always.
He was still her beloved child.
Liu Ruhua smiled and gently pinched Mo Hua's soft cheek.
"There you go, boasting again..."
Mo Hua narrowed his eyes, a happy smile on his face.
With his parents' consent, he no longer felt conflicted.
He had made up his mind to go to the fifth-rank Qian Xue State, join a sect, cultivate the Dao, and learn formations from all over the world!
He would forge a Golden Core and ascend to higher realms.
Step by step, he would strive for the peak of the Dao.
He would learn formations that others couldn't, and he would save his master, whom others couldn't!
However, it was always good to be prepared.
Before leaving for Qian State, he would take some time to plan and make thorough preparations...
(End of Chapter)
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