Spiritual Stones

Elder Yu originally thought that the Golden Armor Formation would be stronger than the Iron Armor Formation, but he didn't expect it to be this much stronger; it's directly a first-grade formation...

When he had previously asked Mo Hua to draw the formation, wasn't it just six lines of formation patterns?

In just this short time, he could already draw a first-grade formation?! Elder Yu hesitated for a while before asking a pointless question:

"Is it really a first-grade formation..."

Mo Hua felt Elder Yu was acting a bit strange, so he took out a just completed Golden Armor Formation and counted the lines for Elder Yu:

"One, two, three... nine, right? There are a total of nine lines of formation patterns."

Elder Yu hadn't carefully examined the Golden Armor Formation before this and now didn't dare to blink, counting each line again.

Indeed, there were nine lines of formation patterns, and nine lines make a first-grade formation! Elder Yu's hand holding the vine armor trembled slightly, finding it hard to believe.

"Then, aren't you... a first-grade formation master?"

A first-grade formation master!

For how many years, they, these wandering cultivators, these poor demon hunters, didn't even have an ordinary formation master among them.

And now, there emerged a first-grade formation master! Mo Hua felt a bit embarrassed and modestly said, "I can only draw a first-grade formation; it's not considered until I pass the Dao Court's certification to be a first-grade formation master."

Elder Yu breathed a sigh of relief, "I see, so you can only draw a first-grade formation..."

Elder Yu carefully examined it again: "Can only draw a first-grade formation... only?"

Drawing a first-grade formation, can it really be called "only"?

Elder Yu's expression was complex.

Mo Hua, at such a young age, could already draw a first-grade formation; what about the future?

A second-grade? Or... third-grade?

Elder Yu took quite some time to calm down. He forced himself to stay calm and praised Mo Hua a few times, instructing him to focus on drawing formations. After that, he gathered Yu Chengyi, Mo Shan, and several other cultivators at the ninth level of Qi cultivation.

"This child Mo Hua must not have any mishaps!"

Everyone looked at each other. Yu Chengyi said, "Dad, we understand and will look after him."

"No, you don't understand."

Elder Yu shook his head and said, "What Mo Hua is drawing now is already a first-grade formation master!"

Yu Chengyi and Mo Shan were shocked.

Yu Chengyi looked at Mo Shan and couldn't help saying, "We're shocked, but why are you, his father, also so surprised?"

Mo Shan helplessly replied, "I just found out too..."

Yu Chengyi didn't know what to say.

"I only know that he helped me draw the formation..." Mo Shan said.

"You didn't even ask?"

"It was a gift from my son. I was just happy and forgot to ask."

Elder Yu said, "This matter cannot be known to the Qian family. You must tell the other demon hunters about the formation, and everyone must keep it strictly confidential."

Everyone nodded, but their hearts were still turbulent and couldn't calm down for a long time.

Mo Hua, who was focused on drawing formations, suddenly felt that someone had been silently watching him lately.

Mo Hua frowned, opened his spiritual awareness, and then shouted through the wall:

"Uncle Yu."

Yu Chengyi immediately popped his head out from behind the wall, "What's wrong?"

Mo Hua couldn't help asking, "Uncle Yu, why are you watching me?"

Yu Chengyi was stunned for a moment, "How did you know?"

He had hidden well behind the wall and even concealed his aura.

"I could sense it with a sweep of my spiritual awareness..."

Yu Chengyi was amazed, "You can sense that too?"

Mo Hua nodded.

Yu Chengyi's brow twitched. He couldn't help but think, "Your spiritual awareness is a bit extraordinary, isn't it..."

But considering Mo Hua's ability to draw a first-grade formation, it's natural for his spiritual awareness to be strong.

"I'm worried you might encounter danger, so I'm here to keep an eye on things," Yu Chengyi said.

Mo Hua glanced around and asked, puzzled, "What danger could there be here?"

This is a mine, surrounded by familiar demon hunters.

Yu Chengyi cleared his throat. "Just in case."

Mo Hua replied, "Uncle Yu, you should go attend to your matters against the Qian family. There must be plenty for you to do."

If there's really nothing, you could even dig some spirit ore. Why watch me...

Yu Chengyi silently thought, "Nothing is as important as you. If I lose some spirit ore, my dad will grumble for a decade or so. But if something happens to you, he might just kill me with a slap..."

"It's fine. You focus on your formations as if I'm not here."

How can a grown man act as if he's not there...

Mo Hua's eyes lit up. "Uncle Yu, if you're free, could you take me to see the spirit ore inside?"

He had been inside the mine drawing formations, but hadn't seen what the spirit ore looked like.

"Aren't you supposed to be drawing formations?"

"I'll take a break and then continue."

After thinking for a moment, Yu Chengyi nodded. "Sure, I'll show you."

Mo Hua couldn't help but feel excited.

Yu Chengyi led Mo Hua deeper into the mine.

The further they went, the damper it became, the stronger the earthy smell, and the denser the spiritual energy, some almost solidifying, emitting a faint blue color.

Throughout the mine, there echoed the continuous clinking sound of pickaxes mining spirit ore.

The spirit stones in the ore grew alongside the rocks. To extract them, cultivators relied on their physical cultivation and pickaxes to slowly chisel them out.

The mined stones were raw and irregular, often containing impurities like rocks and couldn't be directly used or refined by cultivators.

These raw ores could be traded with the Dao Court, exchanged at a certain rate for purified and standardized spirit stones.

These standardized spirit stones were what cultivators used for their daily cultivation and transactions.

The Dao Court was responsible for processing and refining the spirit ore. Refining spirit stones was a specialized craft, with complex processes and strict regulations stipulating that only the Dao Court had the authority to refine them.

Any other families, sects, or individual cultivators found refining them without authorization faced the Dao Court's pursuit, severe cases even deemed treason, leading to suppression or even execution by the Dao Court!

As they walked, Yu Chengyi explained the cultivation knowledge related to spirit ore to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua listened attentively, suddenly understanding. It seemed the Dao Court maintained strict control over spirit stones.

Spirit mines occupied by noble families or sects were beyond Dao Court's interference, so they monitored major powers through controlling the final refining of spirit stones.

Spirit stones were crucial for cultivators, controlling them meant controlling the entire cultivation world.

Mo Hua asked again, "With such dense spiritual energy here, can we cultivate directly?"

"No," Yu Chengyi replied. "Although the spiritual energy appears dense, it's impure, mixed with dampness, earthiness, and accumulated impurities over the years. Direct cultivation here can lead to issues."

Mo Hua wasn't quite clear. "What are dampness, earthiness, impurities, and accumulated impurities?"

Yu Chengyi was stumped by the question, thinking Mo Hua had too many questions, and they were all so probing...

He did his best to recall and explained based on his understanding:

"Qi is akin to a fundamental power in cultivation. Spiritual energy is close to the purest form of qi, absorbable and harmless to cultivators. Cultivators derive their spiritual power through refining spiritual energy."

"In addition, there are various other types of qi in the cultivation world. These qi are generally mixed, often sinister or polluted. If a cultivator refines or absorbs them, it can cause various problems in their blood, energy, or meridians."

"I'm not very clear on the specifics, but you should be careful not to absorb anything other than spiritual energy in the future, or you'll run into trouble."

"Okay." Mo Hua nodded repeatedly, silently noting it all down.

(End of the Chapter)