Immortality Through Array Formations

Ji Qingbai had only just come back to his senses, but his heart was still far from calm.

He had heard that Tongxian City was changing and prospering more each day, but he had not expected it to have flourished to such an extent.

His heart was filled with shock and envy.

After hearing Mo Hua’s words, Ji Qingbai slightly froze, thought for a moment, and then said:

“There’s an old senior whose family has a longstanding friendship with my father’s. I can temporarily stay with him.”

Mo Hua nodded, “If you encounter any difficulties, you can look for my father.”

Ji Qingbai’s eyes showed gratitude, “Thank you for looking after me on this journey.”

“It’s nothing,” Mo Hua said.

After all, he was just scaring people and leading the way, which were simple tasks that hardly required any effort.

As long as everyone was safe, that was all that mattered.

The young female cultivator named Fu Lan, after taking some pills, felt somewhat better, though she was still pale and had difficulty moving. She still went out of her way to bow to Mo Hua and expressed her gratitude:

“Thank you, young brother!”

Seeing that she was a woman alone, having gone through many hardships, seriously injured yet still determined, Mo Hua secretly admired her and asked:

“Sister, can you cook?”

Mo Hua’s question was unexpected, causing Fu Lan to be stunned for a moment before she regained her composure and said:

“My mother runs a tofu shop, and I can prepare some dishes.”

Tofu!

Mo Hua’s eyes lit up, “Then, once you’re healed and if you have nothing else to do, you can go to the Fulu Building in the southern part of the street. You could make some tofu there and earn some spirit stones.”

Fu Lan was taken aback, her heart warmed, and she softly said, “Thank you, but the Fulu Building is quite a large establishment. I’m not sure they would be willing to take me in.”

“No problem,” Mo Hua confidently said, “Just mention my name.”

After all, half of the Fulu Building was his.

Mo Hua spoke with such assurance that Fu Lan was taken aback.

Mo Hua didn’t say much more and waved goodbye to them.

They were weary from their travels and had not yet recovered from their injuries, so finding a place to rest was the immediate priority.

After saying goodbye, Mo Hua and Yu Chengwu walked side by side into the city.

After a while, Yu Chengwu frowned and asked, “Why are you following me?”

“I’m not following you; I’m just looking for Elder Yu.”

Yu Chengwu was stunned for a moment, thinking it couldn’t be true.

It was one thing for Mo Hua to be acquainted with those Monster Hunters, but it couldn’t be that he was also familiar with his father.

But indeed, Mo Hua had walked with him all the way to Elder Yu’s house.

Yu Chengwu pushed the door open, and Mo Hua followed him in, entering as comfortably as if it were his own home.

Elder Yu was drinking tea in the living room and brightened up when he saw the two of them, coming out to greet them.

It had been over a year since Yu Chengwu had seen his father, and his emotions fluctuated slightly. Just as he was about to approach, he saw Elder Yu bypass him and start chatting with Mo Hua.

“Mo Hua, what brings you here?”

Mo Hua nodded, “There is something…”

Mo Hua narrated the incidents that occurred on the road.

With more and more outsiders coming in, identities unclear, and hard to manage, the Monster Hunters faced increasing danger.

For now, they didn’t dare attack local Monster Hunters.

But if things continued to develop this way, conflicts and incidents would be inevitable.

Fighting over prey, murder for loot — these kinds of things would probably happen more often down the line.

The more disputes there were, the more they would affect Mo Hua’s collection of monster blood to make spiritual ink.

With less spiritual ink, fewer formation paintings could be created, and this would slow the increase of his divine sense and delay his progress toward Foundation Establishment.

Elder Yu nodded, “I’ve heard about this issue before and have discussed it with the Court Leader of the Taoist Court. In some time, there should be some solutions considered…”

After talking with Elder Yu for quite a while and receiving a response, Mo Hua took his leave.

Elder Yu personally escorted Mo Hua to the door, cautioning him to “be careful on the road.”

Yu Chengwu, having stood by the side for a long time, finally couldn’t hold back and said, “Father, I’m back!”

Elder Yu glanced at him and frowned, “You’re back, I saw it. I’m not blind.”

Yu Chengwu found himself at a loss for words.

After a moment, he asked softly, “Dad, I am your son, right?”

Elder Yu’s eyes widened at the question and immediately scolded, “What nonsense are you spouting? If you’re not my son, do you think I picked you up from the streets?”

Yu Chengwu thought about the pleasant demeanor he had when talking to Mo Hua just now, and comparing it to the current attitude, he felt somewhat disheartened.

However, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

This fiery temper and scolding tone were familiar and comforting; it was indeed his father, no mistake about it. He wasn’t dreaming.

“I’m finally home.”

Yu Chengwu reflected with some emotion.

Mo Hua, on the other hand, went to the Refinery Shop in Southern City and found Master Chen, who was clanging away at the forge. He said, “Master Chen, please refine a Spiritual Artifact for me.”

“Have you decided what kind of Spiritual Artifact you want?”

“Yes.”

Master Chen was halfway through forging a blade and let Dazhu take over. He stepped aside, took a sip of water, and asked Mo Hua, “What do you want to forge?”

Mo Hua gestured with his hands, “A Wolf Fang Club this long!”

Master Chen choked on his water and couldn’t help asking, “What do you need a Wolf Fang Club for?”

“Wolf Fang Clubs are practical, can be used for sneak attacks, and since they don’t have blades, you can’t hurt yourself.”

Mo Hua had thought it through; if he chose a sabre or a sword, with his meager strength, he wouldn’t be able to wield it properly. And if he accidentally hurt himself with it, that would be a big loss.

Blunt weapons like staves or clubs were perfect; even if he made a mistake and hit himself, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

“Oh, and the club can’t have actual fangs.” Mo Hua added.

The sharp fangs were too dangerous.

“Without the fangs, can it still be called a Wolf Fang Club?” Master Chen was puzzled for a moment.

“Then let’s not call it a Wolf Fang Club. I’ll come up with a new name,” Mo Hua said.

“Alright, it’s your weapon, so whatever you call it, that’s what it is,” Master Chen replied, then expressed a bit of concern, “But Wolf Fang Clubs are quite heavy. Are you sure you can handle it?”

“It doesn’t need to be very heavy, just sturdy and durable.”

“Then what use is this wolf… whatever club you’re making?” Master Chen wondered.

Without fangs and not heavy, wouldn’t it be like scratching an itch when hitting someone?

Mo Hua said, “I’ll just paint a Formation on it.”

A Formation?

Master Chen understood then. A plain staff might not be of much use, but with a Formation painted on it, it should be a different story.

“As long as you have an idea, that’s all that matters.”

Master Chen nodded, not bothering to inquire about the type of Formation; he wouldn’t understand too much about it anyway.

“I have some Artifice Manuals for various staves and clubs here. Browse through and see if there’s anything suitable. Pick one as a template, and I’ll make the modifications based on your ideas.”

“Thank you, Master Chen!”

Mo Hua took the Artifice Manual and flipped through it, finding a Spiritual Artifact that matched his idea pretty closely. It was made of fine steel, about four or five feet long, neither too long nor too heavy.

“This one, just remove the spikes on it,” Mo Hua directed Master Chen, as he took out a piece of paper and drew a rough sketch. He marked a few locations on the sketch, saying,

“I plan to paint Formations at these spots.”

Master Chen briefly looked it over and nodded, “No problem. Give me five or six days, and you can come and pick it up.”

“Great!” Mo Hua said cheerfully.

After returning home, Mo Hua told Mo Shan about Ji Qingbai’s situation.

Mo Shan sighed upon hearing the news and shook his head, “I didn’t expect the circumstances of Loose Cultivators in Qingxuan City to be this dire.”

Mo Hua asked, “Are Loose Cultivators oppressed by Clans everywhere in the world?”

“Even if they’re not oppressed by Clans, there are still Sects and the Taoist Court to deal with.”

“Is it because Loose Cultivators are too weak?”

Mo Shan nodded, “Correct, the strong have always bullied the weak; it’s human nature. Moreover, some Clans and Sects exist solely to compete with Loose Cultivators for profit and to exploit them. They grow stronger with the benefits extracted from the Loose Cultivators.”

“Many benefits in this world aren’t created out of thin air but merely transferred from some Cultivators to others.”

Mo Hua nodded in understanding.