The shopkeeper served wine and meat. After having been hungry for the entire journey, everyone ate heartily, but they exercised more restraint with the wine. At this critical juncture, they clearly didn’t want to cause any trouble. Mo Hua received a small bowl of Spiritual Meat, nibbling on it while deep in thought. "Two hours..." "Who’s coming?" "If it’s a Golden Core, I guess I won’t be able to get away; if it’s Foundation Establishment, it’ll also be quite troublesome once their numbers increase..." "It seems I need to start planning ahead..." Mo Hua took a bite of the meat, then slammed the bowl down and frowned, "This tastes terrible..." The other Cultivators all turned to look, their gazes unfriendly. "Kid, what are you making a fuss about?" Mo Hua said, "The meat tastes terrible, it’s poorly made, not even as good as what I can make..." The stout shopkeeper was furious, "Nonsense, this is a skill passed down from my ancestors!" Mo Hua replied disdainfully, "Then your ancestors weren’t very impressive..." "You..." The stout shopkeeper’s face reddened with anger, but Boss Jiang held him back, signaling him to keep calm, "What’s the point of fussing with a child..." At times like this, it’s better to avoid trouble than to create it. Boss Jiang looked at Mo Hua, "If it doesn’t suit your taste, go and cook for yourself." After all, it was going to be their last meal, so letting the kid do as he wished and enjoy something tasty didn’t seem like a big deal. Boss Jiang silently thought to himself. Mo Hua eagerly said, "Okay!" and then he got up and headed to the kitchen. Boss Jiang silently watched Mo Hua go. The kitchen was enclosed within the eatery, and with Mo Hua still wearing iron shackles, it was impossible for him to escape, especially with more than ten people watching. However, to prevent any mishaps, Boss Jiang continued to eat and drink, all while extending a sliver of his Divine Sense to keep an eye on any movements in the kitchen. Mo Hua was truly stewing the meat. The ingredients in this eatery were all Spiritual Meat; although there were fewer varieties, the quality of the meat was good. It seemed that this group was engaged in unscrupulous deeds but living an indulgent life. Spiritual Meat was expensive, and Mo Hua didn’t eat it often, nor did he want to indulge too freely, but now there was no need for politeness... Mo Hua picked some of the best pieces of meat, placed them in the pot to cook, and then, following the recipes his mother taught him, he controlled the heat, added spices, and brought out the flavor of the meat, blending it with the aroma of the spices... Boss Jiang’s scrutiny with his Divine Sense did not go unnoticed by Mo Hua. But with his level of Divine Sense, it would be strange if he could keep tabs on Mo Hua. After adjusting the seasoning, Mo Hua turned down the heat to let the meat simmer slowly. He then took out several vials of Spiritual Ink from his Storage Ring. His Storage Bag had been "confiscated" by Boss Jiang, who claimed to be holding onto it for him temporarily. Mo Hua didn’t care. The key items were all stored in the Storage Ring given to him by his master, which others couldn’t see, making it very secure. His first task now was to remove the iron bracelet from his wrist. Mo Hua took out the Spiritual Ink, and with a touch of his finger, he used Divine Consciousness Control Ink to solidify Formation Patterns on the bracelet, releasing the iron bracelet that was locked on his wrist. This bracelet had the effects of suppressing spiritual power and tracking. The Taoist Court also had similar Spiritual Artifacts for imprisoning Sin Cultivators. The trouble with this bracelet was that it had Formation Patterns inscribed on it. But to Mo Hua, as long as it involved Formation Patterns, it wasn’t a problem. That’s why he willingly put on the bracelet in the first place. ``` "Thinking that such a Formation could trap me is rather akin to ’bringing an axe to the hall of Lu Ban’..." Mo Hua hummed softly in his heart. Once the Formation on the iron bracelet was unlocked, it ceased to have any effect. What followed was the real business... Mo Hua’s eyes glimmered faintly, shimmering with phantoms, the pupils pitch black. Atop the Divine Sense Incarnation within his Sea of Consciousness, an eerie "Taoist Robe" also draped itself. His Divine Sense poured out like the tide. And the Spiritual Ink rose from the bottle, condensing into lines that fell to the ground, merged with the earth, and like thin threads or blood serpents, they secretly, snakily, spread out layer upon layer... The sky grew dim, and dusk enveloped everything. The people were unaware that something terrifying was creeping on the ground, weaving together like a spider spins its web, interlinking layer upon layer, gradually taking form... ... The Spiritual Meat was tender, requiring little time to cook. Soon, Mo Hua had finished boiling the meat. He served it in a bowl as big as his face, bringing it outside to eat alone, savoring both the meat and the soup with evident delight. The others watched him silently. They were surprised that this youngster truly could cook, and they were also somewhat astonished that the dishes he made smelled quite appetizing. But they all refrained from disturbing Mo Hua. As if no matter how well Mo Hua ate, his meal was still a "last supper." The sold children, unaware of who the buyers were or what they were bought for... Whether to be raised, enslaved, or used for Alchemy, Refining Rune, or Artifact Refining... Whether they lived or died was another matter. So to call it a "last supper" was not inappropriate. Mo Hua finished the entire bowl of meat, his belly round and full. After drinking the soup, he felt warm and content. Stay updated through freewebnovel He then poured himself a cup of wine from the table, held it with both hands, and walked over to Boss Jiang, offering him a toast. Boss Jiang was somewhat surprised. Mo Hua, holding the wine bowl, said earnestly: "Thank you, big brothers, for looking after me along the way. I toast to you all, to send the big brothers on your journey!" Mo Hua lifted his bowl and drank it down in one gulp. Boss Jiang couldn’t help but to smile, though internally he sneered. Still, he lifted his bowl of wine. But halfway through his drink, he suddenly realized that something was off with Mo Hua’s words... Send the big brothers on their journey? On what journey? Boss Jiang was taken aback. And while Mo Hua took advantage of the moment while he was toasting to attract everyone’s attention, he quietly shattered a Storage Bag of Spirit Stones, and with his Divine Thought, activated the Formation. Ripples of Spiritual Power spread out. Boss Jiang knew something was wrong. His expression turned fierce as he sharply turned to Mo Hua. He reached out to grab Mo Hua, but suddenly Mo Hua was enveloped in a mist of water, formless and elusive, drifting uncertainly. When Boss Jiang tried to grasp him, it was as if he tried to catch a handful of mist, palpable yet containing nothing. When he looked again, Mo Hua had already floated away, now standing in a corner. Graceful as a startled swan, fleeting as a passing river, simultaneously real and illusionary. "What kind of movement technique is this?!" Boss Jiang was shocked and wanted to pursue. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sight that made his temples twitch. Without them knowing when, the ground had suddenly sprouted an intricate web of vivid red Patterns. Against the twilight, they were strikingly bright. Spiritual Power flowed within them like streams of lava, encircling each and every one of them! "A Killing Formation?!!" Boss Jiang’s heart shook violently, and he looked on in horror. ```