The Quest for Immortality

But the problem is, I still can’t draw fast enough...

Divine Consciousness Control Ink consumes a lot of Divine Sense, and Drawing Ground into Formation is difficult, so it’s hard to draw quickly.

Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful.

For now, it seems that I can only prepare in advance, to strategically ambush with a prepared mind against an unprepared one, unable to deploy on the fly like a ”spell”.

Unless the opponent is an idiot.

Another problem is that it’s too expensive...

To activate the Formation eye of a Second-Grade Formation, at least seventy to eighty Spirit Stones are required.

For an Earth Fire Formation like this, with Second-grade Thirteen Stripes, an advanced beginner-level formation, at least a hundred Spirit Stones are needed.

That’s no small sum.

Every time a Earth Fire Formation is detonated, it means a hundred Spirit Stones are burned away...

For a Sect Disciple from Noble Clans and Family Sects, these Spirit Stones might not amount to much.

But for Mo Hua, it feels very ”extravagant”.

Besides Spirit Stones, there’s also Spiritual Ink.

A Second-grade Earth Fire Formation requires the use of Second-grade Spiritual Ink.

Converted into Spirit Stones, it’s also quite expensive.

Mo Hua is currently using his own mix of cheap, inferior-quality Spiritual Ink for Drawing the Earth Fire Formation.

If I used higher-quality Spiritual Ink, the power of the Earth Fire Formation would likely be stronger, but at the same time, the cost would be much higher...

For a Cultivator practicing Tao Cultivation, ”Dharma, Wealth, Companion, and Land” are indeed essential.

Mo Hua sighed.

”Forget it, take it one step at a time...”

I’ll think of ways to earn more Spirit Stones later.

The urgent task at hand is to put the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation into practice.

The power of the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was far beyond Mo Hua’s expectations, which delighted him.

Similarly, his subsequent plans are likely to go more smoothly.

”Using the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, I can trap and kill the Second-grade Monster Beasts from Big Black Mountain, then extract their Monster Blood to mix with the Spiritual Ink, and use the Ink to layout the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, kill more Second-grade Monster Beasts, draw more blood, and mix more ink...”

This way, a virtuous cycle is formed.

The output of Spiritual Ink, its use, and its production increase, and the more Ink I have, the more accumulates.

Practice with formations, their application, and more practice make the usage of formations more proficient.

The only cost is the hundred Spirit Stones consumed to power the Formation eye.

Detonating an Earth Fire Formation burns nearly a hundred Spirit Stones.

Mo Hua felt some heartache.

However, Tao Cultivation always involves some sacrifice.

Compared to his proficiency with Spiritual Ink and formations, those costs don’t amount to much.

In the following days, like when he first entered Big Black Mountain, Mo Hua began to hunt Monster Beasts using the Earth Fire Formation.

After some thought, Mo Hua decided not to call for Elder Yu and the others.

Hunting Second-grade Monster Beasts is still very dangerous.

Even if Elder Yu is at the Foundation Establishment level, facing a Second-grade Monster Beast head-on can easily lead to mishaps.

Big Tiger is different, though.

It is a Second-grade Monster Beast, and as a tiger, its flesh is incredibly tough, capable of both taking and dealing hits.

Mo Hua would first sweep the mountain with his strong Divine Sense to spot Second-grade Monster Beasts, then observe their habits, and choose a suitable ambush site on their inevitable path. ŕÃꞐОΒÈs

Then, with Divine Consciousness Control Ink, he would draw a Second-grade Earth Fire Formation on the ground.

Next, Mo Hua and Big Tiger would find a place to hide covertly, sticking out their heads, one large and one small, focusing on the trap on the ground and attentive to the surroundings.

Outside the Earth Fire Formation, Mo Hua also set up a Second-order Thorn Formation.

Once a Second-grade Monster Beast entered, it would be ensnared by the Thorns Formation, and after a few moments, swallowed by the Earth Fire Formation.

The Second-grade Earth Fire Formation was very powerful.

Once triggered, explosive noises would erupt, and flames would billow.

Within the Earth Fire Formation, the flames of Spiritual Power surged like waves, bright red as magma.

Upon seeing this, Big Tiger would still get a bit startled, but after seeing it many times, it gradually got used to it.

After the explosion of the Earth Fire Formation, the Second-grade Monster Beast inside would generally be injured.

The physical bodies of Monster Beasts are much stronger than those of Cultivators, so even if they are engulfed by the Second-grade Earth Fire Formation, they wouldn’t be killed outright but would suffer varying degrees of injury.

The severity of these injuries depends on the type of Monster Beast.

If it excels in defense, like those of the Earth Series or Golden Series, the injuries are usually minor to moderate.

For Monster Beasts with average defense, the injuries are usually moderate.

Only those with weak physical bodies would be critically injured.

Being able to inflict such injuries on Second-grade Monster Beasts was already quite formidable.

After that, it was Big Tiger’s turn to take action.

In battles between Monster Beasts, one who has fallen into ambush and is already injured versus one who is fully rested and full of Blood Qi—there is not much suspense in the outcome.

Moreover, Mo Hua was there to deplete the enemy’s strength and deliver the final blow with the Fireball Technique.

A man and a tiger, well-coordinated.

Usually, the battle would come to an end in less than an hour.

Then Mo Hua would collect the blood, and Big Tiger would feast on the flesh.

After resting and preparing for a few days, they would repeat the process.

No matter how strong the Second-grade Monster Beasts were, they couldn’t withstand the killing set-up combining both Cultivator and Monster Beast, formations and spells, traps, and ambushes.

Mo Hua’s Spiritual Ink, bottle after bottle, kept accumulating more and more...

Big Tiger consumed one inner core after another, amassing more and more...

Mo Hua’s Earth Fire Formation became increasingly proficient, and Big Tiger’s strength also clearly grew.

But Mo Hua’s Spirit Stones were also being consumed rapidly.

Mo Hua began to worry.

”I need to find a way to earn some Spirit Stones...”

The Spiritual Ink I’ve mixed is a bit crude; it’s alright for my own use, but if I were to sell it, I probably wouldn’t get much for it.

Moreover, in places like Tongxian City, no, perhaps not just in Tongxian City but throughout the whole Big Black Mountain State Boundary, there might not be any Second Rank Formation Masters.

I doubt anyone would buy it.

Furthermore, I’m using ink like water, and this Spiritual Ink, while seeming plentiful now, may not withstand my own consumption...

Drawing Formations for others to earn Spirit Stones...

I’m very busy right now and don’t have the time for that.

Unless absolutely necessary, I’d rather not ask my parents for Spirit Stones.