Mo Hua calmed his emotions and thought carefully again. The Annihilation of the Dao might still not be considered complete, at most it is just the rudimentary form of the Annihilation of the Dao. After all, he was still in the Qi-refining Realm, only capable of drawing First-grade Formation Methods, and could only calculate and spur the Power of Annihilation fit for the Qi-refining First-grade. But that was enough. Mo Hua was already very satisfied with this power. The Black Bear Demon at the peak of the First-grade in its late stage was destroyed by the Formation Collapse, dying instantly, which had already surpassed the destructive power of an ordinary Qi-refining cultivator. "If that is the case, then could the Compound Formation Collapse... really injure a Foundation Building Cultivator?" Mo Hua couldn’t help thinking. Who should he test it on? Considering its power, even a cultivator in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment could possibly die upon testing... Then he could only try it on some bad Foundation Builders. Mo Hua stroked his chin, pondering: "How about sacrificing the Third Householder?" After all, he was very likely to be executed by the Taoist Court, so using him to test a Formation before his death would be making use of waste. But the Taoist Court may not agree. Beheading is a punishment according to the Taoist Law, using someone for testing a Formation could be seen as administering private punishment, which is probably against the rules. Mo Hua felt somewhat regretful in his heart. If only he had learned it earlier himself. That way, during the attack on Black Mountain Stronghold, he could have found a way to secretly use it and test the power of Formation Collapse against Foundation Building Cultivators. The only Foundation Builder left in Black Mountain Stronghold now was the Patriarch of the Qian Family. But the Patriarch was in the middle phase of Foundation Establishment and was cunning and calculating. Whether Formation Collapse could kill him, Mo Hua was not very sure, and even if it could, he might not be able to outsmart him. Otherwise, he might end up with a loss, falling into the hands of the Patriarch of the Qian Family. Mo Hua released his Divine Sense to confirm that the surroundings were safe and that the Black Bear Demon was indeed dead, then he ran forward to examine the detailed situation. One small half of the Black Bear Demon’s body was intact, not a single hair damaged. However, the other half of the body had disappeared, turning into black powder that was dark and tasteless, devoid of any scent of blood or Spiritual Power, like the silent remnants of death after a life had faded away. This is the understanding of a Formation Master about Formations, the application of the power of the Heavenly Dao. "Formation Masters are truly fearsome..." Mo Hua murmured, then nodded: "Fortunately, I am a Formation Master!" Mo Hua felt a slight sense of relief. After that, he found a small grass in the black powder. This grass was intentionally left by Mo Hua, which was the "Life-gate" he created. Mr. Zhuang told him that life and death cycle within the Great Dao, transforming between creation and annihilation; if there’s annihilation, naturally there is also life. The power of Formation Collapse could annihilate everything, but within that annihilation, there was also a hint of life, which is the "Life-gate" left through the Calculation of Divine Sense. Mo Hua wanted to test the power of the Compound Formation Collapse as well as the preserved Life-gate containing life force. And the location of this Life-gate was given to this small grass by Mo Hua. In the slight mountain breeze, this tender grass swayed with the wind; even in the midst of the Compound Formation’s collapse, surrounded by the terrifying Power of Annihilation, it was still intact. This proved that Mo Hua had calculated correctly. He had not only calculated the power of Formation Collapse but had also pinpointed a Life-gate within that collapse. Mo Hua couldn’t help feeling happy. Afterwards, as long as he practiced Calculation more, attempted more collapses, and extrapolated more Life-gates, his skill in Formation would grow day by day. Someday, his level in Formation would be so profound that it would make other Formation Masters fear him. Happy for a while, Mo Hua then began to clean up traces. The traces of the Formation Collapse had to be erased, and the Black Bear Demon had to be skinned and deboned, to be sold for Spirit Stones. Even though the fur was damaged and most of the blood qi was gone, not earning many Spirit Stones, every little bit counts, and it should not be wasted. After cleaning up, Mo Hua summarized the uses of Formation Collapse and felt it was a pity. Although Formation Collapse was strong, it was not particularly easy to use. Collapse required prior Calculation, which consumed a great deal of Divine Sense and also required a lot of time. Without sufficient preparation, it was impossible to use Formation Collapse against an enemy. Moreover, for now, Formation Collapse could only be used like an Earth Fire Formation, as a trap. This also required advance setup and should not be detected. If used against Monster Beasts, its destructiveness is too great; after the collapse, most of the Monster Beasts turned to ash, and the remains could not be sold for a good price. It was basically a business that ran at a loss. To use it against Cultivators, the target could not be too smart, or too wary of oneself, and ideally should not know one is a Formation Master, to catch them by surprise. Otherwise, the opponent might not fall for the trap. Also, after the Compound Formation Collapse, the range of the Life-gate was relatively small, just one or two feet of space—insufficient for a person to survive. For now, this Life-gate was still of no use to him. Mo Hua sighed. Thinking this way, the conditions for using Formation Collapse were indeed demanding. The Calculation was complex, the preparation time long, the Life-gate narrow, and the opponent ideally should be a fool, and if not a fool, at least not too clever. Indeed, the more powerful the force, the more limitations it has. Mo Hua lamented. However, even if there are many restrictions, having powerful strength is always better than not having any. One shouldn’t be too greedy. Mo Hua nodded, packed up everything, prepared to leave and took one last look at that small grass. The surrounding soil, rocks, and vegetation had been annihilated by the Formation Collapse, leaving a desolate scene. Only that small grass remained, tender yet resilient, swaying in the wind as if containing endless vitality. Mo Hua was entranced as he looked and suddenly had an epiphany. Mr. Zhuang was right, this world, the principles of the Heavenly Dao fully embody both life and death, death and life. ----------------- In the days that followed, Mo Hua would visit Mr. Zhuang every day to seek his guidance on various issues. Sometimes it was indeed because of doubts about Formations that he needed Mr. Zhuang’s advice; other times it was because his mother had made some delicious food, which he would take to Mr. Zhuang to try; and when he truly had nothing else to do, he would go chat with Mr. Zhuang about the local customs and stories of Tongxian City and the various customs of the Tao Cultivation states. Then, when he had the time, he would also play chess with Old Kui. Playing the simple and intellectual game of Five Elements Chess required no great effort, and the two of them enjoyed it immensely. Mo Hua cherished this period of time deeply. Because he knew that perhaps in half a year, maybe just a month, Mr. Zhuang would leave. The cultivation world was boundless, and the path of Tao cultivation was lengthy. Once gone for years, with such a long road ahead, it might not be possible to meet again. Whenever he thought about this, Mo Hua’s expression would be filled with desolation. Mr. Zhuang would then gently pat his head, "Practice diligently, and there will eventually be a day when we meet again." Mo Hua nodded seriously. Encounters are fate, gatherings are fate, and partings are also a kind of destiny. After an encounter comes a departure, and only after parting can there be a reunion. The carefree Bai Zisheng also sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat unusual, and he asked Mo Hua, "Is Mr. Zhuang leaving?" "En," Mo Hua did not hide it from him. A complex expression appeared on Bai Zisheng’s face, while Bai Zixi’s expression remained unchanged, but her eyes also dimmed a bit. "When the gentleman leaves, will you be leaving as well?" Mo Hua inquired. Bai Zisheng seemed haughty but had the heart of a chivalrous man and had treated him well, while Bai Zixi had helped him a lot, sharing her knowledge and experiences with him about the path of cultivation. Even though they were all but nominal disciples, they were still half of the same sect, and Mo Hua still treasured this friendship. A look of dejection came over Bai Zisheng, "Probably..." They visited Mr. Zhuang in the hope that he would take them as his direct disciples. As long as Mr. Zhuang left, no matter what, they would have to depart as well. Even if they wanted to stay here, Aunt Xue would not agree to it. The atmosphere turned a bit somber for a time. Mo Hua then brought out the wine, meat, and pastries made by his mother, saying, "The path of cultivation is long, and if we’re destined, we’ll meet again." "En." Bai Zisheng nodded, but his expression was still listless, and the beef he ate tasted flavorless. Bai Zixi said nothing, just tasted a few pastries and found them less sweet than before. As they often visited Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua and the Bai siblings had spent more time together. Aunt Xue assigned fewer chores, and Bai Zisheng would practice his Taoist skills with Mo Hua when he had nothing else to do. Bai Zisheng was at the Qi-refining Ninth Level with profound cultivation and exquisite martial arts. In past sparring sessions with Mo Hua, he always suppressed his cultivation, competing solely in movement techniques or Taoist skills. But now that Mo Hua had his Divine Sense built upon his foundation, skills like the Water Passing Step, Concealment Technique, and Fireball Technique became even more powerful. He could now spar head-on with Bai Zisheng and didn’t need him to hold back anymore. The two of them practiced with each other, exchanging blows back and forth in an even match. After tiring themselves out, they lay down to rest under the large pagoda tree. Mo Hua lay on the soft grass, his body drenched in sweat, heaving great gasps of breath. His Taoist skills, relying on powerful Divine Sense, actually had an advantage over Bai Zisheng. The problem was that his physical body and Spiritual Root were too weak. Often after a few exchanges, either his Spiritual Power was depleted or his limbs lacked strength, and Bai Zisheng would catch a flaw, closing in and controlling him. Bai Zisheng also lay on the ground gasping for breath. He thought that he could easily defeat Mo Hua by going all out. But it wasn’t as simple as he had imagined. Mo Hua’s Water Passing Step was slippery and elusive, making it impossible to grasp any flaws; his Fireball Technique was also extremely powerful, striking quickly and accurately, and not to be underestimated. Furthermore, Mo Hua still had a concealment technique he hadn’t deployed, and if he used it to launch a stealth attack, he would be even harder to deal with. Bai Zisheng could only use a "shameless tactic", depleting Mo Hua’s spiritual power until he could no longer sustain his physical strength, and only then could Bai Zisheng find a sliver of opportunity to get close and subdue him. Though he could win, it would indeed be a hollow victory. It seemed he had to push himself further. He couldn’t allow Mo Hua to outstrip him, or else he would never be able to become his elder brother in this lifetime! Bai Zisheng’s fighting spirit was ignited. The two lay under a tree, resting and staring at the blue sky and white clouds, their thoughts drifting freely. Suddenly, Mo Hua remembered the matter of the pill furnace. Over the past few days, both the Taoist Court and the Taoist soldiers had scoured both Tongxian City and Black Mountain Stronghold. All the pill furnaces with differing designs and obscure functions were summarily destroyed. Better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one slip through; they aimed to eliminate any possibility of the Patriarch of the Qian Family concocting evil pills from the root. Zhang Lan also said to Mo Hua: "All the suspicious pill furnaces are destroyed on the surface. Even if the Patriarch of the Qian Family wants to concoct, he has no pill furnaces to do so." "Moreover, the Lifespan Transformation Elixir requires a hundred-year nurturing period, and the time to concoct it is too long to afford any mistakes. Sects specializing in crafting demon pills might not even be able to produce it, let alone the Patriarch of the Qian Family. Perhaps we are just worrying over nothing." Mo Hua felt that Zhang Lan made sense and was somewhat reassured. Yet, he still harbored an indistinct unease. He always felt he was forgetting something, but could not recall what exactly he had forgotten. It was like the fog of Black Mountain, visible yet intangible, yet undeniably there. As Mo Hua pondered deeply, he suddenly realized that Bai Zixi was quietly watching him. Mo Hua turned to look. Their eyes met—not just any eyes, but a pair clear as water and as incisive as eyes that could cut through water. Both were slightly startled. The snow-white locust flowers fell, dancing between them. Time seemed to freeze. As they gazed at each other, how much time passed they did not know, before both silently looked away again. For some reason, Mo Hua felt an inexplicable sense of loss springing up within him, as memories surged uncontrollably. Bai Zixi’s words, her crisp and melodious voice, also emerged sentence by sentence in his mind. There were times when she pointed out formation methods to him, times when she imparted secret techniques to him, and times when she praised his mother’s pastries for their delicious taste... In the midst of fluctuating thoughts, suddenly a phrase surfaced abruptly in Mo Hua’s mind: "Evil Formations and Demon Formations generally use flesh and blood as the formation media, draw formation patterns with evil thoughts, and use defiance of the Dao as the pivot..." Generally use flesh and blood as the formation media... Use "flesh and blood" as the formation media... Mo Hua was startled and suddenly stood up. He knew why he always felt something was wrong. He had indeed forgotten something. He had forgotten... the fat and large pig in the blood-red pill room! 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞 Evil Formations use flesh and blood as the formation media... The pig covered in bloodstains was the media of the Evil Formation. The bloodstains on its body were not mere bloodstains, but the formation patterns of the Evil Formation. The Evil Formation was inscribed atop the pill furnace. This meant that the pig was the real pill furnace! Inside its body, the pill that could aid the Patriarch of the Qian Family in breaking through his cultivation level was being concocted... the Lifespan Transformation Elixir!