Chapter 720 – Formation-Artifact System
More and more fellow disciples were coming to Mo Hua for "guidance."
More and more custom spiritual tools were being forged.
And the number of formation-based artifact blueprints he had designed kept stacking up.
After some thought, Mo Hua decided to compile these blueprints, gradually forming a complete system for custom spiritual tools.
This spiritual tool system was quite extensive.
It included detection, surveillance, and early warning tools to gain the upper hand in battle;
It had formation disks for enemy containment—like flowing sand, earth prisons, golden locks, and wooden binds;
It covered armor to defend against physical strikes—such as slashes from blades and swords, stabs from spears, or the brute force of fists and kicks;
It also included robes that warded off elemental spells—such as fireproof, waterproof, wood-resistant, and poison-resistant robes...
The only thing it lacked was offensive spiritual tools.
That was because most clan disciples already used inherited weapons—powerful, ancestral spiritual tools passed down through generations.
Compared to those, Mo Hua's custom-forged weapons couldn't compete in raw power.
Senior brothers and sisters had high cultivation levels and strong battle prowess.
Even though formations like the Five Elements Source Array could amplify their spells, they also restricted mobility—turning the user into a "stationary glass cannon."
Clan disciples, however, preferred a more direct approach—"One strike to break all techniques."
The Five Elements Source Array was originally a supreme protective array of the Five Elements Sect, known to enhance elemental spells and spiritual power.
But since coming to Qianxue Province, Mo Hua had rarely used it.
In real combat, close-quarters combat required agility and maneuverability—making one heavily reliant on movement techniques.
So unless absolutely necessary, one avoided direct clashes.
He had initially just followed behind his senior brothers and sisters.
Body cultivators (Tǐxiū), though powerful in melee and possessing immense vitality, also struggled with mobility.
But even so, this entire system of custom tools had begun to take shape.
However, after careful reflection, Mo Hua realized something was missing from his system:
Spiritual Power Amplification.
"The Five Elements Source Array!"
The formation and artifact framework now had a clear structure and foundation.
For example, he had blade designs meant to break enemy armor.
He only needed to continue improving the quality and rank of the spiritual tools and formations—iterate, refine, complete—until the system was fully realized.
Or weapons infused with elemental power—flaming swords, water-blades, gold-infused blades—to help disciples with lacking elemental attributes supplement their offensive capabilities.
That's why there weren't many offensive spiritual tools in his designs—his fellow disciples didn't need many.
Enemies they could defeat didn't require power boosts like the Five Elements Source Array.
And those they couldn't beat? Better to avoid them entirely.
Because using the Five Elements Source Array came with major drawbacks:
It required the cultivator to stay within the array's bounds to gain its amplification.
Once outside, the boost disappeared.
The array demanded precise setup and stationary combat, which was dangerous in high-speed battle.
You'd become a sitting duck. Worse—an obvious target and a fool.
So despite its overwhelming power, the array had significant limitations in practice.
Unless...
Mo Hua paused and considered:
What if the Five Elements Source Array could be engraved directly onto armor or robes?
This way, the cultivator could wear it and gain the array's benefit on the move—no longer restricted by a static formation.
That would be the ideal solution.
Previously, he didn't have the right conditions—nor the craftsmen—to develop such specialized armor or robes.
He had been too busy—cultivating, studying formations, handling bounty missions...
But now—
Mo Hua quietly calculated.
He was currently "grounded" in the sect, researching custom spiritual tools, and he had the help of Master Gu, a Grade-3 artifact forger.
Perfect timing. Perfect conditions. Perfect team.
This was his opportunity to explore the real-world combat application of the Five Elements Source Array.
If he could succeed—
Then this long-lost ultimate formation, once the pride of the Five Elements Sect, might return to the world once more!
And this powerful formation could fill the final gap in Mo Hua's spiritual tool and formation system:
Spiritual Power Amplification!
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. His thoughts grew clearer by the second.
This was the integration of cultivation industry: the merging of artifact forging and formation arts, all applied to cultivators.
His goal—
To build a complete auxiliary system that included:
Detection
Containment
Offense
Defense
Amplification
Start with the sect disciples—earn some spirit stones.
Use that income to refine the system.
Then, one day, when the formation designs and forging techniques had matured and he had enough experience, he could spread it outward.
He could introduce it into grassroots cultivation realms, using it to design cost-effective, mass-producible spiritual tools—and simple, practical formations.
From combat to production.
From custom to standardized.
From expensive to affordable.
Bit by bit—he could popularize it all.
"Comprehend the Dao of Heaven; benefit all living beings."
True formations should not only serve the few—they should uplift the entire world.
Mo Hua paused, dazed—then suddenly enlightened.
His understanding of the Dao of Formations grew even deeper...
And so, he immediately threw himself into research—studying how to make armor and robes compatible with the Five Elements Source Array.
But these weren't just any garments—they were highly specialized.
The legacy of the Five Elements Ultimate Formation was on the verge of extinction. There were barely any compatible spiritual tools or formation mediums recorded anywhere.
And even if there were, Mo Hua would never find them.
He could only fumble forward step by step, exploring while consulting Master Gu.
This would take time.
About a month later, Master Gu visited the Great Void Sect in person. He chatted with Mo Hua and together, they drafted a prototype armor design.
Master Gu planned to return and test it out.
He wasn't sure how effective it would be—after all, Mo Hua's requirements were extremely unusual, and he'd never forged anything like this before.
But he didn't ask many questions.
Formation theory was too complex for him to grasp anyway—his job was to forge.
After their discussion, Master Gu left the sect and headed into the city—to the Gu Clan's merchant hall.
The custom spiritual tools had sold well, and it was time to collect the earnings.
And in this past month— Business had been booming.
A huge haul of spirit stones awaited.
...
Inside Great Void City, at the Gu Clan Merchant Pavilion—
When the steward handed Master Gu a storage pouch filled to the brim with spirit stones, even he couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
"I don't know where Great Void Sect keeps finding all these suckers willing to spend so many spirit stones on your weird and wacky spiritual tools."
He was on friendly terms with Master Gu, so his tone was casual.
Master Gu chuckled and replied,
"That's where you're mistaken…"
There was a lot more going on under the surface.
Refinement techniques, process optimization, formation design, formation inscription, demand forecasting, sales strategy…
It all looked simple on the outside, but Master Gu knew—despite being a Grade-3 artifact forger—his own abilities were still quite limited.
More than half the credit belonged to Young Master Mo.
What Master Gu couldn't understand was:
Where did this little Young Master Mo get so many connections inside the sect?
Shaking his head, he turned to the steward and smiled.
"Lunch is on me today."
The steward grinned.
"Sounds good. I'll happily ride your coattails."
That noon, the two of them feasted on spiritual delicacies and fine wine in Great Void City.
Since Master Gu would continue relying on the steward for merchant pavilion matters, he was generous with his spending.
The steward was quite pleased too.
Buzzed from the wine, the two parted ways in good spirits.
Master Gu headed back to Lone Mountain City—to continue forging the next batch of custom spiritual tools.
Inside the carriage, he gently tapped the heavy storage pouches hanging at his waist, his heart filled with emotion and a lingering sense of disbelief.
Five hundred thousand spirit stones!
Smaller spiritual tools cost less, larger ones more—but on average, each sold for around 5,000 spirit stones.
They had sold nearly a hundred in just one month.
Even after subtracting costs, it was an astonishing profit.
And this… was just the beginning.
His apprentice Da Chuan was staring wide-eyed in shock.
He had lived a hard life since birth and had never seen so many spirit stones in one place.
Master Gu thought for a moment and instructed:
"Stop at the next cultivation city. Go buy some wine and meat to bring back—treat everyone to a feast."
Da Chuan beamed,
"Yes, Master!"
Life had always been tough at the Lone Mountain Forge.
It had been far too long since they'd last enjoyed meat and alcohol.
But then, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Master, how are we even supposed to spend all these spirit stones? It feels like no matter how much we spend, we'll never use them up…"
Master Gu chuckled.
This silly child—he was so used to poverty, born into hardship, that he had no idea what wealth could even do.
Even if you told him to dream big, he wouldn't know where to begin.
But as Master Gu's thoughts shifted, a trace of sorrow crept into his heart.
500,000 spirit stones…
It was a fortune.
With that much, they could buy top-grade refining furnaces, high-quality materials, and rare forging manuals.
The leftover stones could feed and clothe everyone comfortably for quite a while.
In that sense, this haul was incredibly generous.
And yet…
Master Gu sighed internally.
To them, this was wealth.
But in the eyes of the elite clans, this might just be:
The cost of a single banquet.
A luxurious mount.
A flashy carriage.
A night of music and dancing.
A bottle of fine wine.
A fleeting favor from a beauty…
Such was the injustice of the world.
Master Gu glanced over at Da Chuan again.
This innocent, hard-working boy—he knew none of it.
But perhaps that was a good thing.
A simple life is a good life.
Once someone had tasted the glitz and glamor of the world, if they lacked a firm Dao heart, it was all too easy to be seduced, twisted, and ultimately corrupted.
Master Gu looked at his disciple, smiled, and said:
"There's a lot we can do with this. We'll take it one step at a time. First, let's feed everyone well. But—"
He paused, frowning slightly as he added:
"We should set aside a portion for Young Master Mo."
Da Chuan froze, then nodded.
They had only been able to make this business deal and earn so much because of that delicate, fair-skinned young man—Young Master Mo.
"Truly, appearances are deceiving."
When he'd first met Mo Hua, Da Chuan thought he was just some spoiled young master from a noble house.
He never imagined he'd be this capable.
Da Chuan marveled to himself.
"But… Master, do you think Young Master Mo would even want any?"
Despite his youth, Mo Hua already exuded a certain aura—like a celestial being untouched by the mortal world.
He didn't seem like someone who cared for spirit stones.
Master Gu shook his head:
"That's not the point. These spirit stones are rightfully his—whether he wants them or not, we must offer them. That's a matter of principle. Even a drop of kindness deserves a wellspring in return."
"Besides, to us, Young Master Mo is far more precious than these stones."
"We must never trade long-term blessings for short-term gain."
"But no need to say it outright. That would make it feel like we're trying too hard to repay him. It might come across as distant or insincere."
"We'll just quietly set his share aside and save it for him."
Da Chuan nodded enthusiastically.
"Master, you always think of everything."
Master Gu patted the storage pouch at his waist.
On his usually stern face… a faint smile finally appeared.
...
Meanwhile… back at Great Void Sect
Inside Great Void Sect—
At this moment, Mo Hua still had no idea that two different people were secretly "saving up" spirit stones for him.
Unbeknownst to him, he now had two "little spirit stone vaults" of his own.
Mo Hua, of course, was simply continuing his array studies as usual.
The armor would take some time to forge, so until then, he focused on his array practice with his usual dedication.
He leaned over his desk and carefully began drawing an array diagram—
a Grade-2, Seventeen-Rune formation—
each stroke deliberate, every line precise.
Once that one was complete, he moved on to the next.
All of these were part of the coursework that Old Mister Xun had assigned to him.
"Study more—the more you learn, the better. The more solid your foundation, the stronger your future. If you run out of array diagrams, come find me…"
That line made Mo Hua feel especially happy.
But at the same time, he also found it a bit odd.
Originally, Old Mister Xun insisted on sticking to sect rules—telling Mo Hua to earn contribution points and exchange for array materials himself.
But now, he'd suddenly stopped caring about all that.
Instead, he was all-in on feeding Mo Hua arrays in bulk, like cramming a goose for foie gras.
Though Mo Hua's appetite for knowledge was huge and his digestion speed fast—no matter how many arrays Old Mister Xun handed him, he could absorb them all—
he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
Was Old Mister Xun… anxious about something?
But about what?
Did he have some kind of other plan in mind?
Mo Hua couldn't figure it out.
He had tried secretly observing the old man, but Xun's expression was like an ancient, still well—deep, unreadable, giving away absolutely nothing.
So Mo Hua tried to test the waters:
"Old Mister Xun, should I go take the array master's certification test now?"
He could already draw high-grade Tier-2 beginner arrays.
His array knowledge was broad, his foundation solid, and he'd mastered a large number of formations.
By now, he should easily pass for a Tier-2 Intermediate Array Master.
Old Mister Xun's gaze lifted slightly and he replied simply:
"No rush."
"Oh…"
That confirmed it—Old Mister Xun definitely had something in mind.
But since he said not to rush, Mo Hua wouldn't.
As long as he could keep learning arrays, he was content.
The more he learned, the deeper his insights, the higher his mastery, and the firmer his foundation.
Mo Hua had strong spiritual sense, fast recovery, and the assistance of the Dao Stele.
With such round-the-clock immersion in array studies, even though he was still limited to Seventeen-Rune arrays, his foundation in high-grade Tier-2 formations was already sturdier than many certified array masters.
Grains of sand, gathered, become a tower.
What he was doing now—or rather, what Old Mister Xun wanted him to do—was clear:
Broaden, consolidate, deepen. Build the strongest possible foundation in formations.
Several days passed. The armor still wasn't finished.
Mo Hua was eating in the sect's dining hall when Cheng Mo suddenly came looking for him.
"Senior Brother, do you know any ways to defend against demons or demonic qi?"
Mo Hua blinked.
"You're hunting devil cultivators?"
Cheng Mo thought for a moment and replied,
"Not exactly. The Dao Court issued a bounty—capture a few criminal cultivators. They've trained in some demonic methods, but not the orthodox kind. More like… they strayed into it halfway."
"Just being cautious, so I thought I'd ask."
Mo Hua frowned.
Cultivators halfway into demonic paths?
A bounty issued by the Dao Court?
Then he suddenly remembered what Uncle Gu had told him before:
"A mysterious group of devil cultivators has appeared in the region surrounding Qianxue Prefecture…"
"We don't know their origin yet—how many there are, what their cultivation is like. Still unclear."
"So far, they're only active in Tier-2 and Tier-3 prefectures near Qianxue. We don't know their goal, but it's certainly not anything good…"
Could it be that the criminals Cheng Mo was targeting belonged to this mysterious group of devil cultivators?
Had the Dao Court run out of manpower and started pushing the bounties to sect disciples?
Mo Hua thought about it and felt it was very likely.
And now that Cheng Mo mentioned it, Mo Hua realized—
Lately, many fellow disciples asking for his advice had been taking on much riskier bounty missions.
Before, it was just chasing petty thieves and minor criminals.
Now, they were targeting actual fugitives—people with blood on their hands.
In hindsight, it seemed likely that these missions were all aimed at that group Uncle Gu warned about.
Mo Hua gave it some thought and said carefully:
"There are all kinds of demonic techniques. Some use Slaughter Qi to confuse the mind. Some have poisonous blood. Some wield vicious cursed weapons. Some cultivate dual-harvest techniques…"
"If you encounter someone using Slaughter Qi, avoid eye contact at all costs."
"If it's poison blood, use fire-type spells or arrays to counter it."
"Cursed weapons—don't clash with spiritual tools, especially inherited ones, or they'll get tainted."
"As for those who cultivate dual-harvest… they're usually very fast. If you catch one, break three of their legs just to be safe."
Mo Hua described everything he'd seen inside the Bishan Demon Grotto—the twisted methods, the various demonic arts—as if he were listing recipes from a cookbook.
Cheng Mo was stunned.
He looked around nervously before leaning in and whispering:
"Senior Brother… how do you know all this so well? You're not… one of them… are you?"
Mo Hua gave him a flat look.
"Know thy enemy, know thyself—win a hundred battles. If I didn't understand demonic methods, how could I slay demons and purge evil?"
Cheng Mo froze, thought about it, then nodded.
"That makes sense!"
But Mo Hua remained curious.
Who were these devil cultivators?
Why had they suddenly appeared?
What were they after?
Could this be related to the Evil God?
If so… this couldn't be ignored.
But he was stuck inside the sect—he couldn't leave Qianxue Prefecture, let alone investigate.
As he pondered, a spark of inspiration struck.
He called over a few disciples who were on good terms with him—those who often called him "Senior Brother"—and said:
"If you're taking bounty missions, whether it's capturing criminals or devil cultivators, and you find anything weird or hard to identify, bring it back and let me take a look."
Situ Jian frowned,
"Like what?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment, then said seriously:
"For example… statues. Broken swords. Goat horns. Bones. Anything strange or uncanny."
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Also… encrypted letters. Blank jade slips. Message talismans with their content wiped. And…"
"…sect tokens from unknown origins!"
(End of Chapter)