Speculation

Mo Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief after finishing the formations on the alchemy furnace.

He had completed all the formations that needed to be drawn, and from now on, he didn't need to worry about anything.

Master Chen managed the forging workshop, Senior Feng oversaw the alchemy division, and the later stages of completion were Master Ban's responsibility, with Elder Yu overseeing the overall situation.

At most, there were some minor areas that required formations, which Mo Hua could easily handle.

The remaining tasks were just waiting for the distribution of spiritual stones.

Elder Yu said that when the forging and alchemy divisions became profitable, any cultivator who had contributed, whether a demon hunter, blacksmith, alchemist, or ordinary wanderer, would receive a good share of spiritual stones.

Mo Hua had taken charge of all the formations, and Elder Yu mentioned that he would receive the most spiritual stones.

Mo Hua didn't bother asking for specifics about how many. Anyway, he had enough spiritual stones for now. All he needed to do was focus on formations.

Mo Hua summed it up; he had drawn many formations this time.

The architectural diagrams for the forging and alchemy workshops covered a wide range, primarily earth and wood, with metal, water, and fire as secondary elements, involving various applications of elemental formations.

Mo Hua planned and coordinated the diagrams, then redrew them from start to finish, solidifying his foundation in formations.

The formations used on the forging furnaces and alchemy furnaces were all Grade One complex formations, quite challenging. Mo Hua struggled through them, making revisions and stumbling through.

His mental acuity had increased, his understanding of formations deepened, and he now had a basic concept of the principles and applications of complex formations.

Moreover, thanks to his understanding of the complex formation hubs, he could now draw ordinary formations relying on his grasp of hub structures, speeding up the process significantly, albeit at the cost of slightly increased mental consumption.

However, this level of mental strain was not a problem for Mo Hua.

In summary, despite these exhausting days, Mo Hua felt fulfilled.

He felt he had gained a lot.

He had used up more than half of the thousand bottles of demon blood he had stored. Now, he could finally take a short break.

Mo Hua touched his small face, feeling that he had lost some weight recently due to being busy drawing formations every day. When he got home, he would have his mother cook something delicious to treat himself.

"What should I eat?"

Mo Hua pondered this while walking home briskly.

---

At the Qian Family Hall.

The floor was covered with dark patterned carpets, with screens depicting scenes of mountains and rivers. There were vermilion lacquered desks and auspicious beast-shaped incense burners emitting wisps of smoke, creating an atmosphere of luxury.

Qian Hong sat in front of the hall, while Master Qian sat beside him.

Both men sat sipping tea in the fragrant haze.

However, despite the calming aroma, neither of them could settle their minds.

Qian Shunzhi entered, respectfully bowing and reporting:

"Reporting to the family head, we couldn't gather any information on other formation masters among the demon hunters. We only heard about a child among the demon hunters who is skilled in formations, referred to as 'Little Formation Master.'"

"Little Formation Master?" Master Qian frowned. "How old is he?"

"He's quite young, seems to be around ten years old, surnamed Mo. As for his full name, appearance, and where he lives... the demon hunters are very tight-lipped. We couldn't find out."

Qian Hong's face showed displeasure.

Qian Shunzhi lowered his head, not daring to breathe loudly.

Master Qian pondered for a moment and said, "It definitely isn't this child, but there should be some connection with him."

Qian Hong considered and said, "Master's meaning is that the formation master who opposes us is likely this child's master, or they have some master-disciple relationship..."

"Exactly," Master Qian nodded. "Mastery of formations doesn't happen without a teacher. Being so young and already prominent in formations, known as 'Little Formation Master,' he must have had an exceptional teacher or a direct lineage."

Qian Hong instructed Qian Shunzhi, "Continue investigating."

Qian Shunzhi hesitated, "How... how should I investigate..."

He had exhausted all methods of investigation and inquiries.

Previously, they had disguised Qian Family members as passing merchants, mingling in lively eateries with demon hunters, only to glean fragments of information.

But within two days, the demon hunters had become suspicious.

Upon further inquiries, mentioning "formation masters" caused the demon hunters to visibly increase their vigilance, and even ordinary wanderers remained tight-lipped.

If they pushed too hard, the demon hunters would turn the tables and interrogate them with hostile intent.

Qian Hong frowned, "Then don't ask about formation masters. Inquire about unfamiliar cultivators or elusive experts. Through indirect means, we'll surely find some clues."

Qian Shunzhi acknowledged and was about to withdraw when Master Qian stopped him.

"One more thing," Master Qian instructed, "that young formation master, find out what formations he has drawn and bring some samples for me to examine closely."

"Yes," Qian Shunzhi respectfully responded.

The forging workshop in Nan City was completed, and the alchemy workshop was nearing completion.

The pressure on the Qian Family increased twofold, while the An Family also felt uneasy.

Elder An was once again in the elegant room of a teahouse outside the southern city, observing the newly constructed forging workshop in the distance with An Yonglu, the family head.

Once a desolate ruin, the disorderly wasteland now boasted a massive forging workshop.

Adjacent to it, an equally large alchemy workshop was also nearing completion.

Elder An sighed emotionally, "Elder Yu managed to complete this!"

An Yonglu expressed concern, "At this rate, I'm afraid there will be no place for us, An Family."

"These two trades, forging and alchemy, are likely to dominate for the next century. Our An Family won't have any accomplishments. We won't even have meat to eat, let alone a share of the soup on the side."

Elder An felt despondent.

Originally, the pressure from the Qian Family left them breathless. Now, with two such large-scale forging and alchemy workshops in the south, the An Family saw no way out.

"It's for the best," An Yonglu tried to console himself. "Since we can't compete anyway, we might as well focus on running the spiritual restaurant."

Elder An looked at his son with disappointment. "Running a restaurant for a lifetime, always at the mercy of others' whims—what kind of future can you expect?"

"At least we can make a living..." An Yonglu muttered under his breath.

In this state, he almost wore the label "lack of ambition" on his face.

Elder An felt somewhat weary.

His son, on the surface, appeared respectable enough to lead the family. But when faced with challenges, all he thought about was getting by, lacking even a trace of ambition.

It was no wonder that the wealth he taught his son to accumulate lacked any significant aspirations.

Elder An couldn't be bothered to say more.

An Yonglu quietly sipped his tea, casting a sidelong glance at the forging workshop. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Father, the formations used on the outer walls there... they seem to be quite sophisticated..."

Elder An glanced at him. "Can you discern what kind of formations they are?"

"I can't," An Yonglu shook his head. "But they feel extraordinary, at least much better than the formations used at our An Family mansion."

"Father, Where do you think Elder Yu found these formation masters?" An Yonglu asked curiously.

Elder An remained silent, feeling a sudden intuition but still finding it hard to believe.

Seeing his father's reaction, An Yonglu asked, "Father, do you know something?"

Elder An furrowed his brow, remaining silent for a while before slowly saying, "Do you remember the child who saw through our An Family formations..."

An Yonglu was stunned for a moment, unable to believe it. "Could it be..."

(End of the Chapter)