The Quest for Immortality

Mo Hua officially became a One-rank Formation Master after the assessment.

The news spread back to Tongxian City, and everyone was overjoyed.

This was, so far, the first and only One-rank Formation Master from the loose cultivators of Tongxian City.

Elder Yu decided to celebrate.

The celebration was not only for Mo Hua becoming a One-rank Formation Master but also for the communal effort of Tongxian City in slaying the Big Demon Feng Xi.

Moreover, Elder Yu had another purpose, which was to see Mo Hua off on his journey.

Mo Hua was about to set out and leave Tongxian City.

And in the slaying of the Big Demon, preserving the peace of Tongxian City, Mo Hua could be said to have played a significant role.

Elder Yu had no way to repay him, so he wanted to use a citywide festival as a farewell for Mo Hua.

Elder Yu specially sought out Court Leader Zhou, and after several discussions, they set the first day of the eleventh month as the Tongxian Festival.

Upon returning from the Azure Cloud Sect, Mo Hua saw that Tongxian City was decorated with lanterns and streamers, all in the spirit of the upcoming festival.

After learning the reason, Mo Hua was delighted.

After all, festivals are very lively.

Although Azure Mountain City is big, it clearly isn’t as lively as Tongxian City, and naturally, it isn’t as interesting as Tongxian City.

However, Mo Hua still had one concern:

”We built a Large Formation, and almost all of the Spirit Stones were used up. Do we still have Spirit Stones for the festival?”

Elder Yu said calmly, “We were even poorer before, but we still celebrated the festival, didn’t we?”

Mo Hua was a little stunned, feeling that it made a lot of sense.

Elder Yu smiled and said, “In any case, the festival has to be celebrated. When we are wealthy, we celebrate more lavishly, and when we are short on money, we go a bit frugal.”

”Although we used most of the Spirit Stones for the Large Formation, the remaining ones are still enough for our needs.”

”Besides, the Refinery Shop, Alchemist’s Business, and the like are all here. Now, with the mountain pass, travel is convenient. In a few years, Tongxian City will become richer and richer.”

Mo Hua nodded, and then he was relieved.

He then asked with some anticipation, “Will the days ahead get better and better?”

Elder Yu nodded, “Rest assured, loose cultivators are not afraid of hardships. As long as we are not oppressed, life will always get better.”

As long as we are not oppressed…

Mo Hua felt mixed emotions upon hearing this.

The ways of people, taking from those who lack to give to those who have plenty.

In this world, there should still be many cultivators who are oppressed and exploited, and Tongxian City in the future…

Elder Yu saw that Mo Hua seemed to be thinking about something with a small frown and patted his shoulder with a smile, saying:

”Don’t overthink it. Work hard on your cultivation, keep your Taoist Heart, and just do what you can.”

Mo Hua’s eyes brightened, and he nodded:

”Okay!”

Afterward, he happily celebrated the festival.

He also invited Zisheng and Zixi to join in the fun.

Mr. Zhuang agreed to accept disciples, and Aunt Xue, having completed her mission for the trip, specially gave the siblings time off.

Moreover, they would soon be leaving Tongxian City, and whether they could return in the future was still unknown.

So Aunt Xue wasn’t strict with the two children, wanting them to enjoy themselves to their heart’s content without any regrets.

Bai Zisheng was extremely happy, and Bai Zixi’s eyes shone like stars in the sky.

On the day of the Tongxian Festival, Mo Hua, fulfilling his duty as “host,” took Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi about for the day.

The streets were bustling with activity during the day, and at night, they were brilliantly illuminated with lights.

Mo Hua led the way at the front, with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi following behind him.

Full of enthusiasm, Bai Zisheng looked around eagerly, and upon encountering something novel, he asked:

”Mo Hua, what is that?”

”Mo Hua, is that tasty?”

”Mo Hua, this bamboo dragonfly can actually fly…”

…

As a Junior Brother, Mo Hua could only patiently answer.

Bai Zixi didn’t talk as much, but when she saw pastries she hadn’t tried before, she would stop and silently gaze at them.

Mo Hua understood, bought a few pieces over, and shared them with Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi, eating while they walked.

Although it was “buying,” Mo Hua didn’t need to pay with Spirit Stones.

Because if he had, others would not have accepted them.

Almost all cultivators on the street knew Mo Hua, aware that he was the Junior Formation Master who built the Large Formation and slew the Big Demon, and now recognized by the Taoist Court as a One-rank Formation Master. 𝐫𝓪ΝÒ𝔟Ě𝓢

So no one accepted Mo Hua’s Spirit Stones.

Some stall-owning cultivators would even select the best of their goods and offer them to Mo Hua.

If Mo Hua tried to refuse, they would get upset.

The three of them walked the entire way, receiving a bunch of items without spending a single Spirit Stone.

Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi were quite astonished.

Bai Zisheng whispered, “Mo Hua, if I didn’t know you, I’d suspect this whole street was owned by your family…”

Mo Hua was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

The streets were bustling with people during the daytime, filled with noise and excitement.

When night fell, and the curtains of darkness descended, lanterns were hung. Dots of light reflected each other, stretching into the distance, and Tongxian City revealed a different scene.

The evening had more interesting activities.

For example, the usual Monster Hunting play of Tongxian City.

Because it was a celebration of the hunting of Feng Xi, the “Monster Beasts” in the “Monster Hunting play” became a Pig Monster, huge in size, looking rather dumb and silly.

The Pig Monster was impersonated by Monster Hunters.

Because of its large size, several Monster Hunters took turns pretending to be the Pig Monster.

In addition to Da’hu, Dazhu, and a few young men, adults like Yu Chengyi and Yu Chengwu also joined in the fun.

“`

After watching the “Demon Fighting Play,” they started eating the “Pig Killing Feast.”

Feng Xi had already been dissolved into black ash by Mo Hua using a Great Formation Dissolution, and the pig killed in this feast was other herbivorous Pig Monsters.

The Monster Hunters killed quite a few Pig Monsters, which were then cooked by the Fulu Building, specifically for the feast day.

To celebrate the killing of the Pig Monsters, naturally, they ate pork.

Every cultivator in Tongxian City ate a portion.

Afterward, it became a custom in Tongxian City, and every year on the first day of November, the Tongxian Festival, to celebrate the suppression of Pig Monster Feng Xi, every cultivator in Tongxian City would eat a portion of pork.

After the Pig Killing Feast, there were fireworks.

The Fireworks Formation this time was still designed by Mo Hua.

He added new formations on the basis of the original Compound Formation.

Combining the experience from the Five Elements Slaughter Demon Great Formation, utilizing the principle of the Five Elements Generation and Restraint and the way of Divine Sense Calculation, he made the colors of the fireworks richer, their trajectories clearer, and they used fewer Spirit Stones.

Before setting off the fireworks, Mo Hua took Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi up to a roof.

”This eaves belong to Elder Yu’s house, and it’s very suitable for watching the fireworks,”

Mo Hua said to Bai Zisheng and Bai Zixi.

Bai Zisheng was startled and secretly said, “You’re climbing onto Elder Yu’s roof; won’t he give you trouble?”

”He won’t,” Mo Hua shook his head, “I mentioned it to Elder Yu in advance.”

At most, a few tiles would be broken, which wouldn’t cost much.

Bai Zisheng nodded, finally at ease.

Thus, the three fellow disciples, a junior brother, a junior sister, and another junior brother sat side by side on the eaves, their little legs swinging, waiting to watch the fireworks in the sky.

Mo Hua was also looking forward to it.

Although he designed this formation, he used a different technique in drawing it, so he hadn’t seen what it would look like when lit up.

On the roof of Elder Yu’s house, the three of them sat side by side.

Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng each clutched a skewer of roasted pork in their left and right hands.

Bai Zixi, on the other hand, was holding a box of pastries, which contained white, chewy, rabbit-shaped cakes.

All three were somewhat expectant.

In a short while, the fireworks burst forth.

First came a clear whistle, as a streak of fire cut through the night sky.

Then the light from the Five Elements Formation soared skyward, converging in the air and bursting into multicolored fireworks before scattering again, and then bursting anew, layer upon layer, creating a colorful canopy that filled the entire night sky with splendor and brilliance.

It was as if a Great Formation was opening, with its light filling the skies.

But in this magnificent scene, there was no aura of slaughter, just prosperity and peace.

Mo Hua and the others also looked up together.

This sky full of dazzling, multicolored fireworks imprinted itself into their clear eyes, forever remaining in their memories.

At this moment, every cultivator in Tongxian City raised their heads, gazing at this incomparably beautiful fireworks display, utterly spellbound.

All the Formation Masters in Tongxian City were also shaken by this spectacle, but couldn’t help mumbling to themselves in their hearts:

”It’s just fireworks… is such a complex formation really necessary…?”

…

The Tongxian Festival ended in a joyous and lively atmosphere.

After the Tongxian Festival, Mr. Zhuang was to leave.

One early morning, Mo Hua bid farewell to his parents outside the city.

Elder Yu, Old Mr. Feng, Master Chen, Court Leader Zhou, Zhang Lan, as well as Da’hu, Dazhu, and Daping were among those seeing him off…

A sea of people crowded outside the city.

Everyone watched Mo Hua with reluctance in their hearts.

”You must respect your teacher and cherish the Tao, and listen well to Mr. Zhuang,” Liu Ruhua instructed, “And take good care of yourself…”

Mo Hua nodded solemnly, his eyes feeling somewhat sore.

Mo Shan didn’t say much, just patted his head and looked at him with a gentle expression.

The crowd also said their goodbyes, imparting words of concern.

After a while, the Bai Family’s carriage arrived.

Mo Hua boarded the carriage and then stuck his head out again, waving goodbye to the crowd.

He was not only waving to his parents, so many elders, friends, acquaintances, and companions,

But also bidding farewell to his hometown where he was born and grew up.

From then on, he would embark on a long journey to witness the various states of the world and to delve into the depths of formations, not knowing when he could return.

The carriage took Mo Hua, gradually receding into the distance.

Liu Ruhua stood in place, watching Mo Hua with longing, watching his figure until it disappeared at the end of the road, vanished behind the layers of mountains, and faded into the misty clouds until it could no longer be seen.

Only then did she silently shed tears of parting.

…

Six months later, at the foot of Big Black Mountain.

A huge Demon Suppression Monument was completed.

The monument was personally supervised for construction by Old Master An, made from high-quality stone that could endure wind and sun without perishing.

On the monument were engraved the names of cultivators who made outstanding contributions in the battle against Big Demon Feng Xi in Tongxian City.

Suppressing a Big Demon was the greatest feat in Tongxian City in hundreds, or even nearly a thousand, years.

This stele was likewise the biggest Demon Suppression Monument in nearly a thousand years.

As long as Tongxian City stands, so will the monument, and the names upon it will remain.

At the head of the monument, in a prominent position, was engraved the name of Old Master An.

The characters were powerful and vigorous, clear and forceful from afar.

Above Old Master An’s name, another even more prominent name was inscribed:

”Mo Hua.”

—————–

(End of Volume One – Black Mountain Volume)