The Quest for Immortality

After watching the fireworks, Aunt Xue thanked Mo Hua, then bid farewell to Mo Shan and his wife, and left with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.

Mo Shan had made plans with a few brothers from the Demon Hunting team to drink together.

Liu Ruhua went with Aunt Jiang to see the lanterns and taste some snacks from the newly opened pastry shops.

With fireworks still lighting up the sky, Mo Hua strolled alone.

As he wandered, Mo Hua suddenly felt a sensation and looked up, seeing Elder Yu also sitting alone on a rooftop, drinking by himself.

Mo Hua used the Passing Water Step, walking vertically up the wall, step by step to the rooftop.

Elder Yu’s eyes lit up when he saw Mo Hua and patted the tile next to him, ”Come, sit here and have a drink with me.”

Mo Hua sat down next to Elder Yu, took out fruit wine from his storage bag, and clinked glasses with him.

Elder Yu’s wine was strong and spicy.

Mo Hua’s wine was sweet and could be drunk in any amount.

As the fruit wine entered his throat, its sweetness lingered. Mo Hua couldn’t help but shake his head slightly, then looked at Elder Yu and asked:

”Elder, are you here alone?”

”What’s wrong with being alone?”

”You seem a bit lonely...” Mo Hua said sympathetically.

Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, sighed, and looked into the distance, ”I’m happy, so I came up here alone to drink.”

Mo Hua nodded, as long as he was happy, it wasn’t a problem.

After thinking for a moment, Mo Hua asked, ”Elder, is it hard to become a Foundation Building cultivator?”

”Why, are you thinking of Foundation Building?” Elder Yu was a bit surprised.

”It’s still early for me. I’m just asking.” Mo Hua smiled shyly.

He was currently at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, not yet at the late stage, so Foundation Building was still some way off.

”Foundation Building, it’s neither too hard nor too easy.”

”Elder, can you be more straightforward?”

Elder Yu choked for a moment, then said directly:

”The difficulty in Foundation Building actually lies in two things: spiritual roots and spirit stones...”

”Spiritual roots go without saying. Good roots mean deep spiritual power, making breakthroughs easier. As for spirit stones, without them, cultivation itself is problematic, let alone Foundation Building.”

”Aren’t there spiritual objects?” Mo Hua asked.

”Most spiritual objects still need to be bought with spirit stones. At least for ordinary cultivators like us, the necessary spiritual objects can all be bought with spirit stones.” Elder Yu explained.

Mo Hua nodded, ”So it all comes down to spirit stones.”

Elder Yu nodded, ”Exactly.”

”If the spiritual roots are decent and spirit stones are sufficient, is Foundation Building guaranteed?”

”Nothing is certain in this world. There are always surprises, but if spirit stones aren’t lacking, Foundation Building is very likely.”

Elder Yu took a sip of wine and continued, ”Prepare the spirit stones, gather the spiritual objects. If you fail once, try again. Eventually, there will be success. And as long as you succeed once, you become a Foundation Building cultivator.”

Mo Hua frowned, ”It doesn’t seem too hard then...”

”From Qi Refining onwards, although Foundation Building is a step up, it’s just one more step from Qi Refining. From the Golden Core stage onwards, each step becomes progressively harder, requiring exceptional spiritual roots, talent, comprehension, and inheritance.”

Elder Yu sighed, ”As for Foundation Building, as long as you have spirit stones, it can be done.”

Foundation Building requires spirit stones, but in the past century, only Elder Yu had succeeded among the wandering cultivators...

Mo Hua asked, ”Does it take a lot of spirit stones for Foundation Building?”

Elder Yu sighed, ”It varies from person to person, but for cultivation and purchasing spiritual objects, at least ten thousand spirit stones.”

Mo Hua silently calculated. An ordinary Qi Refining cultivator earns one spirit stone a day, which totals three hundred and sixty a year. To save over ten thousand spirit stones would take about thirty years.

No eating, drinking, or spending for thirty years.

And that’s just for one attempt at a breakthrough. If it fails, all those spirit stones are consumed, and thirty years of effort is wasted.

Moreover, how could a cultivator not eat or drink, not get sick, or not encounter unexpected events?

Mo Hua sighed as well.

Elder Yu bitterly said, ”The main reason wandering cultivators can’t build a foundation is actually poverty.”

”There are many thresholds in cultivation, but poverty is the most despairing one.”

”If your spiritual roots are poor, you know from the start that this path is not for you. But poverty first gives you hope and then leads you to despair. Spirit stones are always insufficient, and the Dao is always out of reach.”

Elder Yu’s expression was filled with both longing and helplessness.

”Are all wandering cultivators in this world like this?” Mo Hua asked.

”For the most part, yes.” Elder Yu sighed, ”In the cultivation world, the most numerous and the most bitter are the Qi Refining cultivators. Across the vast Nine Regions, when you step out of Black Mountain, you’ll see even poorer cities than Tongxian City, and countless cultivators more bitter than us demon hunters.”

Mo Hua looked downcast and remained silent.

Elder Yu realized he had said too much, things that shouldn’t have been said to this young one.

He patted Mo Hua on the shoulder and changed the subject, ”We can’t control others’ affairs, but at least the wandering cultivators of Tongxian City will get better, thanks to you.”

Mo Hua was a bit embarrassed, ”I didn’t do much, just drew some array formations.”

”Array formations are the most important.” Elder Yu said solemnly, ”Without array masters drawing formations, even if there were a few more Foundation Building cultivators among the wandering ones, it wouldn’t change anything. They would still be poor and bitter.”

Mo Hua was stunned.

He knew that array masters held a high status and that array formations were hard to learn, needed in all aspects of cultivation, but he hadn’t thought it was as important as Elder Yu said, more so than several Foundation Building cultivators.

Elder Yu saw Mo Hua’s confusion and patiently explained:

”Qi Refining is the base, stepping up to Foundation Building gives one the qualification to seek the Dao and change their fate.”

”I became a Foundation Building cultivator and changed my fate, but I can’t change the fate of other wandering cultivators. I can negotiate with the Qian family to prevent oppression, but I can’t help them much.”

”They’re still poor, still bitter, still struggling, destined to remain Qi Refining cultivators for life. Even if I stole or robbed, I couldn’t gather enough spirit stones.”

”But array formations are different!”

Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with bright eyes, ”Even if you’re just in Qi Refining, as long as you know array formations, you can truly benefit all wandering cultivators. Help them make a living, earn spirit stones, and advance in their cultivation.”

”Spiritual power can kill, but array formations can benefit all beings!”

Mo Hua was deeply moved and nodded, ”Elder, I understand.”

Elder Yu nodded in relief, said no more, and quietly watched the myriad lights of Tongxian City.

Mo Hua also followed Elder Yu’s gaze.

The bright red lanterns hung from street to street, under their light, children chased and played, cultivators greeted or walked together, creating a lively scene.

The fireworks were dazzling in the sky, the market was bustling with rows of shops, and the streets were crowded with people.

Laughter and joy blended with the myriad lights, lighting up the entire night sky alongside the brilliant fireworks.

These myriad lights and splendid fireworks also reflected in Mo Hua’s eyes.

Little Mo Hua gradually solidified his Dao heart:

In this life, he would cultivate diligently, comprehend array formations, and seek immortality through them, defying fate.

He would change his fate and the fate of all the lower-level cultivators in the world.

By then, not only Tongxian City, but all the wandering cultivators in the world would no longer remain mere Qi Refining cultivators for life!