``` Mo Hua’s heart trembled, and then he slowly furrowed his brows: "If we follow this Law, doesn’t it mean that within a realm, cultivators simply cannot resist a Big Demon?" High-rank cultivators cannot intervene, and low-rank cultivators have no power to contend. Against a cultivator with high cultivation like Patriarch of the Qian Family, it’s still possible to overpower him by sheer numbers, with all cultivators united and working together to subdue him. But facing a Big Demon like Feng Xi, more people are useless; after it drains their Blood Qi and consumes them, it can just recover. The more people there are, the Big Demon might actually grow stronger. Zhang Lan let out a long sigh and said, "’Within a realm, a Big Demon is invincible’ is basically a consensus in the Cultivation World. Otherwise, the Taoist Court wouldn’t suggest relocating the city; it’s truly a helpless move born out of desperation." "But Big Demons must die eventually, right?" Mo Hua said. Zhang Lan nodded, "Of course, all things in the world, including demons, must experience life and death. Even the most powerful Big Demons are just that—demons, not immortals, so naturally, they will die." "How do most Big Demons die?" Mo Hua asked again. Zhang Lan thought for a moment and answered, "Some starve to death after consuming all the cultivators in a realm; some die of old age after living for thousands of years; some are inexplicably struck down by Heavenly Dao Laws when they break through a boundary; and some are slain through the combined efforts of family clans and sects…" "Combined efforts to slay?" Mo Hua’s expression shifted. "Don’t even think about that," Zhang Lan guessed what Mo Hua was thinking and dismissed his idea, "The clans and sects capable of slaying a Big Demon have legacies that span thousands or even tens of thousands of years, profound backgrounds, powerful sect disciples, and Protective Sect Arrays they can rely on. Only then can they slay a Big Demon… And even so, they will be severely weakened, paying a terribly painful price." "If the Big Demon doesn’t appear within their own sects or factions, directly threatening the roots of their Taoist heritage, they have no choice but to attempt the slaying. Otherwise, they wouldn’t willingly take the risk." "This place, Tongxian City, simply lacks any power with such profound backgrounds." "Moreover, such events are extremely rare, and even in the records of Family Sects and Clans, similar accounts are few and far between." Mo Hua felt somewhat disappointed. As expected, any method he could think of, others had already thought of, and any method that could be used, others had already used. In over twenty thousand years of the Taoist Court’s existence, there had been countless brilliant individuals, and not all other cultivators were fools; it wasn’t possible that what you think of, others could not. But instead of decreasing, Mo Hua’s doubts only multiplied. "Then why even have assessments for state boundaries? If there were no assessment, wouldn’t high-rank cultivators be able to slay Big Demons?" "On what basis are these assessments determined?" "Why is this place designated a Second-Grade Prefecture Border?" "As for being struck down by Heavenly Dao Laws, what exactly are those Heavenly Dao, what rules, and how are they struck down?" ... Mo Hua, articulate, fired off questions rapid-fire. Zhang Lan felt his scalp tingle at the barrage of questions. That’s why being too smart isn’t such a good thing. Once someone is smart, they have many questions, and with many questions, headaches are bound to follow. When it comes to issues like the overall planning of the Taoist Court, the division of the Nine State, and the structure of heaven and earth, Zhang Lan had no answers, and he couldn’t just make irresponsible guesses. First, it might mislead the younger generation, creating misconceptions in Mo Hua’s understanding of the path of Tao Cultivation. Second, Mo Hua was no longer a novice in Tao Cultivation, and in fact, he knew much more about Formations than Zhang Lan did. If Zhang Lan were to blunder through an explanation, Mo Hua would likely spot the flaws easily. To know what one knows and what one does not know is true knowledge. Losing a little face was worth it. Zhang Lan could only tell the truth, "I don’t know about these things…" "Alright." Mo Hua was somewhat regretful. Although Zhang Lan was from a Noble Clan, since he was still at the Qi Refinement stage, his ignorance was understandable. Nevertheless, Mo Hua still wasn’t giving up: "Is there really no way to deal with the Big Demon?" Zhang Lan patted his shoulder, "In the face of the Heavenly Dao, cultivators are actually very insignificant. In the pursuit of the Dao for a lifetime, the more one seeks, the more one realizes the unfathomable depths of the Great Dao, which cannot be fully comprehended by human effort. The Great Dao’s formidable disasters and variations cannot be countered by mere human power." In other words, there was no way out. Mo Hua whispered, "So we can only relocate the city?" Zhang Lan sighed, "In a few days, the Taoist Court will deliberate once more. If it really comes to it, we will have to head to the wildlands in the south." But in reality, there wasn’t much to discuss; it was just that nobody wanted to make the final decision until absolutely necessary. After all, once the decision to relocate is made, it means leaving one’s home behind and leading a life of displacement, with an uncertain future ahead. Mo Hua felt unwilling and puzzled. He wanted to get to the bottom of this matter. The next day, he went to visit Mr. Zhuang. "Gentleman, why do Big Demons exist, and how are the state boundaries assessed?" Mr. Zhuang silently looked at Mo Hua and asked, "Do you really want to know?" Mo Hua nodded his head. Mr. Zhuang remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "I can tell you about the causality of the Great Dao involved here, but you must remember not to tell anyone else; otherwise, it will bring disaster upon you." Mo Hua’s expression became grave, and he nodded. Mr. Zhuang let out a slight sigh and began to speak, "All things in the world originate from the Dao." ``` "From Dao comes the One, from the One comes the Two, from the Two comes the Three, and from the Three come all things. Be it a Big Demon or the assessment, all are things derived from the Great Dao." "Defying the Heavenly Dao, catastrophes are born, thus leading to Big Demons;" "The Heavenly Dao’s checks and balances, the classification of regions in Nine State, this is why assessment exists." Mr. Zhuang spoke concisely and to the point. Mo Hua frowned slightly, contemplating carefully. Mr. Zhuang then explained further: "What we call a Big Demon is one kind of calamity caused by the Great Dao. When a Cultivator acts against the heavens, violates natural affection, it breeds calamity." "Calamities that violate the Heavenly Dao are collectively referred to as Taoist Demons." "And a Big Demon, is one type of Taoist Demon." "’Taoist Demon’ is a term used internally within the Taoist Court’s Heavenly Observatory; it is not mentioned to outsiders. Because the Taoist Court fancies itself as acting in accordance with heaven’s mandate, the existence of Taoist Demons would imply that the Taoist Court is at fault, in violation of the Heavenly Dao." Mr. Zhuang’s expression was serious as he looked at Mo Hua and said: "Thus, these words should go from my mouth to your ears and must not be known to others. Especially the term ’Taoist Demon’." Mo Hua’s expression was solemn as he nodded seriously. Then Mo Hua pondered and said slowly: "So, that pig becoming a Big Demon is due to the deeds and desires of the Patriarch of the Qian Family, which harmed the nature and violated the Heavenly Dao. This nurtured the Taoist Demon within the Pig Monster?" After all, he had killed people for two to three hundred years, brewed Human Life Pills for over two hundred years, and nurtured the Lifespan Transformation Elixir for more than a hundred years, committing countless acts of slaughter. Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly, "Simply put, that’s the case, but there are others at play here, and it is better that you do not know now." "Is it a strange Taoist?" Mr. Zhuang was taken aback, his gaze sharpening, "Who told you that?" "The Patriarch of the Qian Family, and a young Pill Master at the Alchemist’s Business, they both mentioned a Taoist." Mo Hua recounted honestly, "The Evil Skills and the pill recipe for the Lifespan Transformation Elixir were both given by a Taoist. But I don’t know if the Taoist they speak of is the same person." But Mr. Zhuang put a hand on Mo Hua’s shoulder, his expression grave, and said: "Do not speak of it, do not even think about it, forget that Taoist." Mo Hua wanted to ask why, but seeing Mr. Zhuang’s face more stern than ever, he nodded in agreement and said: "Yes, Gentleman." Mr. Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief. Mo Hua had never seen anyone who could make Mr. Zhuang so wary. However, since Mr. Zhuang did not want to talk about it, he didn’t think further and turned to ask other questions: "Gentleman, then what is the matter with the state boundary assessment?" "What do you want to know?" Mr. Zhuang looked at Mo Hua. Mo Hua organized his thoughts and continued: "Why does the Taoist Court assign assessments to state boundaries?" "Without the assessment, there wouldn’t be any limitation on cultivation, the Taoist Court could then dispatch high-ranking Cultivators to exterminate Big Demons, and it wouldn’t lead to the annihilation of all living beings within the state boundaries." "Upon what does the Taoist Court base its assessment?" Mr. Zhuang countered. Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, "Annihilation by the laws of the Heavenly Dao?" Because if there were no forceful annihilation by the laws of the Heavenly Dao, even if Cultivators didn’t act according to the state boundary classifications, it would have no impact. The so-called state boundary assessments would be rendered meaningless. "What, then, are the laws of the Heavenly Dao?" Mr. Zhuang asked. Mo Hua was startled and muttered softly, "How should I know that..." Mr. Zhuang shook his head slightly, "You know." Mo Hua’s expression was one of surprise, "I know?" When did I know that? How could I not know about it myself... Mo Hua furrowed his brows and thought for a while, then suddenly his heart jumped and he exclaimed in astonishment: "Could it be... Formation?!" Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, "Correct." "But... where is the Formation?" Mo Hua had guessed it, but still couldn’t understand. Mr. Zhuang pointed to the sky, and Mo Hua couldn’t help but look up. The sky appeared vast and infinite, with tumbling clouds, profound and endless. "This sky, is itself a Formation!" Mr. Zhuang said in a heavy tone. Mo Hua was deeply shaken, blurting out in disbelief: "This is... a Formation?" "Indeed," Mr. Zhuang nodded, his gaze profound, "And it’s not an ordinary Formation, this is a Large Formation, the most powerful one known in this world!" "The most powerful Large Formation..." Mo Hua was transfixed, murmuring, "Does that mean..." Mr. Zhuang nodded and said, "The Innate Large Formation, also called the Immortal Grade Formation in legends!" Mo Hua was immensely shaken inside and speechless for a long time. Heaven is just three feet above, and it turns out that the sky is the most powerful Formation in the world. It turns out that the most powerful Formation in the world has always been suspended above, covering every inch of the Cultivation World, concealing every Cultivator. What kind of transcendent craftsmanship this must be... Mo Hua looked up at the sky, feeling his own insignificance and the boundlessness of Formations.