Chapter 92: Deterrence (Sixth update)_1 Translator: 549690339 The next day at 6 A.M., Bai Mansion. The sky was barely light when Bai Zixi got out of bed to cultivate. Her daily cultivation schedule was packed: she needed to work on her Cultivation Technique, Formations and Runes, as well as Alchemy and Artifact Refining. Bai Mansion was specially built by Aunt Xue for the Bai siblings, equipped with an Alchemy Room, Artifact Refining Room, Book Pavilion, and Cultivation chamber among others, closely modeled on the layout of their ancestral Bai Family home. Although the rooms were a bit smaller, they had all the necessary functions. This was at the behest of Mrs. Bai. Though the Bai siblings were away from home, they were not to neglect their cultivation practices in any way. Aunt Xue was following Mrs. Bai’s orders, taking care of the Bai siblings’ daily needs and all matters related to their cultivation. Mrs. Bai had high hopes for her two children and was therefore particularly strict. While Bai Zisheng was somewhat playful and restless, he was still quite obedient. Compared to him, Bai Zixi was an absolute relief; she completed every bit of her daily assignments without fail. When it came to her spiritual root’s talent or her dedication to the path of cultivation, she was nearly beyond reproach and required no worry on anyone’s part. Bai Zixi would get up at 6 A.M. and sit in the bamboo pavilion in the courtyard to cultivate for two hours. Aunt Xue, who had just returned, stood silently at the edge of the bamboo forest, waiting. The early morning was tinged with a thin mist, the verdant grass and trees seemed to be covered with drops, and the spirit flowers were on the verge of blooming. Seated among them, Bai Zixi was clad in a snow-white dress, her skin was clear and translucent, her appearance exquisite and flawless. The morning sun shone through the mist, casting its light upon the grass and petals, and gracing Bai Zixi with a soft, golden halo. Aunt Xue sighed, content to sit and watch such a scene all day long. Bai Zixi’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she opened her eyes. Aunt Xue approached and relayed the news she had gathered, including Qian Xing accosting Mo Hua, what was said, how the conflict escalated, and how it was finally resolved. After Qian Xing had been healed, he held a grudge against Mo Hua and returned to threaten him. This was the scene Bai Zixi had witnessed the day before. Bai Zixi frowned slightly and said softly, “We came to seek instruction from Mr. Zhuang, wanting no disturbances.” Aunt Xue nodded and then retired. However, as she left, she wondered about the “we” Zixi mentioned—did it refer to both her and her brother, or did it also include Mo Hua? Having previously sought Mr. Zhuang’s instruction, Mo Hua visited the Bai siblings on schedule, bringing with him some beef, osmanthus cakes, and sweet fermented rice. He also took the opportunity to ask about a few questions on Formations. As they talked, Mo Hua often had the feeling that Bai Zixi was staring at his neck. Mo Hua turned his head, curiously observing Bai Zixi. Their eyes met, and Bai Zixi asked, “Have you injured your neck?” “Mm,” Mo Hua nodded, “A minor injury, but it’s already healed.” He said no more on the matter. Bai Zixi stopped asking and sipped on the fermented rice, bite by bite. After leaving Mr. Zhuang’s residence and returning home, Mo Hua went back to his own cabin to start flipping through Formation Books. Since Qian Xing had approached him and he knew that Qian Xing likely would not leave the matter at that, Mo Hua began preparing to deal with Qian Xing’s methods. Unable to study Spells yet and not proficient in other areas, Mo Hua chiefly relied on Formations. Mo Hua selected a few Formations to focus on and diligently began to learn them. One was the Wood Binding Formation, which upon activation, would release faint blue wood-type spiritual power that entwined like vines to bind a person, useful for trapping an enemy. The other was the Fireworks Formation, similar to the previously drawn Bright Fire Formation. However, unlike the Bright Fire Formation which served illumination, the Fireworks Formation upon activation would send a striking red firework into the sky. The Fireworks Formation is generally used for celebrations, during festival periods for cultivators to create fireworks, painting the sky in myriad colors and creating a beautiful sight. Mo Hua planned to use the Fireworks Formation in cases of unexpected danger, to draw attention from others and avoid being left isolated without aid. Another formation is the Iron Armor Formation, which Mo Hua painted onto a thin Rattan Armor. This could make the Rattan Armor as hard as steel, potentially saving his life in critical moments. The Iron Armor Formation was initially intended to reinforce armor, with armor made from refined iron that was already tough. With the addition of the Iron Armor Formation, the armor became almost indestructible. When Body Cultivators fought while wearing armor painted with the Iron Armor Formation, becoming as solid as rock, they were like tigers with wings, invincible. In close-quarter combat, armor significantly influences the outcome and so is extremely important for Body Cultivators. However, armor was expensive, requiring a lot of refined iron and effort to make, something that Mo Hua could not afford. Among all the Monster Hunters in Tongxian City, only a few possessed armor, most still used the more affordable Rattan Armor. Mo Hua’s Rattan Armor was small and exquisitely made; Master Chen had specifically tailored it for Mo Hua. As Mo Hua was slight of build, the Rattan Armor was not large and didn’t even use a lot of material; Master Chen didn’t even charge any Spirit Stones for it. Since Master Chen did not take any Spirit Stones, Mo Hua had no choice but to praise Master Chen with a few flattering remarks. Master Chen didn’t say much in response, but he was quite pleased inside. When Mo Hua went back to test the Rattan Armor, it could block swords and knives, but not the force behind the blows; thus, even without external injuries, internal injuries were inevitable. There was no helping it; Rattan Armor was made for Body Cultivators who were tough and could withstand blade and sword attacks. They didn’t care about such force, but Mo Hua couldn’t handle it. Mo Hua had no choice but to paint an Iron Armor Formation on it. While it couldn’t completely deflect the force, it was much better than before. Furthermore, after painting the Iron Armor Formation on it, the durability of the Rattan Armor itself had greatly increased. Previously, a sword or knife could leave a mark on the Rattan Armor, but now it left none. Rattan Armor was meant for self-defense and wasn’t comfortable to wear, so Mo Hua placed it in his Storage Bag, ready to be taken out in case of emergency. As for offensive formations, he only had the Earth Fire Formation for now. Purely in terms of power, the Earth Fire Formation was already quite good, and other formations weren’t likely to be much stronger. More importantly, once the Earth Fire Formation was activated, it would explode after three breaths, while most other formations took effect instantly. If the spiritual power from the explosion affected Mo Hua, he would also suffer the consequences. Such a powerful formation could blast Qian Xing to ruin, but if it exploded on Mo Hua, it would definitely be the end of him. Besides, there were some other miscellaneous small formations that Mo Hua prepared, just in case they were needed at some point. However, two days later, Zhang Lan found Mo Hua and immediately said, “Qian Xing has gone mad, he won’t be troubling you anymore.” Mo Hua’s mouth fell open. Seeing Mo Hua’s expression, Zhang Lan knew he really had no clue and let out a sigh of relief as he said, “While Qian Xing was sleeping, someone drenched him entirely in fresh Monster Blood and blood-soaked innards. He soaked in the blood all night and completely lost his mind when he woke up the next day.” Mo Hua was shocked and asked, “Was he scared mad?” “It’s not that simple,” Zhang Lan shook his head, “At most, blood and flesh innards are a shock. Burn some Calming Incense, rest for a while, and he should be fine. It’s not enough to drive someone crazy.” “So what happened?” asked Mo Hua. “I suspect that in addition to using Monster Blood and innards to scare him, someone probably used an Illusion Technique,” said Zhang Lan. “Illusion Technique?” “Apparently, when Qian Xing woke up, he was panic-stricken with a shrill voice, constantly screaming ‘Don’t eat me.’ If I’m not mistaken, someone used an Illusion Technique to make him believe that he was being eaten bit by bit by a monster in his dream. When he woke up and saw all the Monster Blood and innards around him, he thought he was inside the belly of a beast, truly eaten by the monster. Suffering from pain and fear, he just snapped and went mad.” Mo Hua listened in shock, amazed that such spells existed. He couldn’t help asking, “Illusion Technique… Can I learn it?” Zhang Lan gave Mo Hua a look and said, “You can’t,” bluntly ending Mo Hua’s foolish fantasy. “Illusion Technique is a very special spell; learning it requires a special kind of meridian and constitution as well as a deeply rooted family knowledge. Ordinary cultivators can’t learn it; they have nowhere to learn it and can’t learn it at all,” Zhang Lan explained. Feeling a bit disappointed, Mo Hua then asked Zhang Lan, “Uncle Zhang, can you learn it?” Zhang Lan choked out, “I… can’t either.” Mo Hua felt comforted and a bit better inside.