Chapter 178: Master Ban_1
“The limits… of Divine Sense.”
This wasn’t the first time Mo Hua had heard this term, but he still didn’t understand what the limits of Divine Sense were, or how to break through them.
Mo Hua didn’t understand, so he asked in a soft voice, “The limits of Divine Sense… how can one break through them?”
Mr. Zhuang silently looked at him.
Regaining his composure, Mo Hua scratched his head and offered an apologetic smile, “Gentleman, I’m being overly ambitious again.”
Mr. Zhuang raised an eyebrow, lightly chuckling, “It’s good to know these things, but don’t spend too much time on them. What’s most important for you is to learn more about Compound Formations, especially since you are already at the Qi Refinement level six.”
Qi Refinement level six, so what?
Mo Hua frowned, suddenly remembering that he was indeed at Qi Refinement level six, and a breakthrough would take him to level seven.
Moving from Qi Refinement level six to seven signified the transition from the middle phase to the latter phase of Qi Refinement, a breakthrough in the middle realm, meaning there would be a bottleneck in the Cultivation Technique!
The Cultivation Technique he was practicing was the Heaven Yan Jue, which encounters bottlenecks at the Mystery Formation.
If he couldn’t solve these Mystery Formations, he wouldn’t be able to break through to the next realm. There was no need to think about anything else then; he could only remain a Qi Refinement level six Cultivator for his entire life.
A chill ran through Mo Hua’s heart.
Indeed, the most pressing matter was to learn more about formations, practice them, use them, and find a way to unlock the Mystery Formations of the Heaven Yan Jue. Otherwise, without an increase in Cultivation, everything else was just empty talk.
After bidding farewell to Mr. Zhuang, Mo Hua began planning his course of study in formations.
The first step was to utilize the Architectural Formation of the Refinery Shop, to broaden the application of formations, and reinforce some basic Compound Formations such as the Grade-One Earth-Wood Formation.
Next, he would use the Artifact Furnace and the Alchemy Furnace to study and apply more difficult Compound Formations, like those complex formations containing Grade-One Melting Fire Formations.
The Pivots of these formations were not just for connecting Single Formations, but also involved controlling the Spiritual Power within the formation and exerting Strong Inhibition among other effects.
After spending two days, Mo Hua referred to the Formation Diagram provided by Mr. Zhuang and, based on the architectural plans of the Refinery Shop, mapped out the Architectural Formation Map for the shop.
Mo Hua showed the Architectural Formation Map to Elder Yu.
At a glance, Elder Yu’s scalp went numb.
The dense and complex formations were too complicated for Elder Yu, leaving him dizzy and overwhelmed. Since he didn’t understand formations, it was as incomprehensible as an arcane text; he could only wave his hand and say,
“You handle it, if there’s no problem.”
Seeing that Elder Yu had agreed, Mo Hua nodded as well.
Elder Yu surreptitiously sized up Mo Hua, looking him over from left to right, and couldn’t help muttering to himself,
“I have no idea how Mo Hua’s small brain works, remembering such complex formations, and how he can even draw them out…”
Elder Yu shook his head.
A few days later, Elder Yu treated the Court Leader to a drink several times, negotiated with other Supervisors, and spent quite a few Spirit Stones to buy a large piece of wasteland to the south of Tongxian City, as well as some unoccupied old houses in the vicinity.
This wasteland would be the location for the Refinery Shop and Alchemist’s Business, which had been selected as the most suitable and cheapest site after discussions with everyone.
With the location determined, construction could begin.
In the Cultivation World, construction of houses required craftsmen, who were skilled in Earth and Wood building, a branch of Artifact Refining. As the Tao Cultivation World developed, it gradually separated from the Artifact Refining trade.
There weren’t many craftsmen in Tongxian City, so Elder Yu had to hire a group of craftsmen from nearby Immortal Cities.
The leading craftsman among them, surnamed Ban, was an old acquaintance of Elder Yu. His skills were famed near and far among several Immortal Cities.
Elder Yu went to an inn within Tongxian City and handed over the Architectural Formation Map to an old man around his age, who had dark skin and a slightly hunched figure.
“Master Ban, the Formation Diagram is ready, we can start construction now.”
The elder referred to as Master Ban took the Formation Diagram, glanced at it, and his brows furrowed tightly, “Such a complex formation, which Formation Masters do you plan to invite to draw it?”
Elder Yu said, “You’ll find out when the time comes.”
Master Ban was still not reassured, “This formation is too difficult, and there are so many Formation Patterns. If we can’t finish drawing, or if we are short-handed and draw too slowly, it’s going to affect the progress significantly.”
Elder Yu knew what he was worried about and said, “Don’t worry, it won’t delay the schedule, and it won’t delay your final payment settlement.”
Having received a promise from Elder Yu, Master Ban heaved a sigh of relief, but he still felt somewhat uneasy inside.
With such an array of complex formations, just which Formation Master was going to draw them for him?
The Formation Masters in Tongxian City were mostly on good terms with the Qian Family, and since the Qian Family still held a grudge against him, it’s likely they wouldn’t draw formations for the Monster Hunter.
Inviting from outside? That would cost a considerable amount of Spirit Stones. Although Elder Yu had recently obtained a large sum of Spirit Stones, he couldn’t just squander them …
Master Ban, with a creased brow, was at a loss for solutions. Then he had a moment of realization and thought to himself:
“Why am I worrying so much? As long as he settles the payment of Spirit Stones on time, that’s all that matters.”
After all, these days, being a craftsman and having the accounts settled on time without being owed Spirit Stones was considered good enough. He also had a whole team of craftsmen under him who needed to eat.
With that thought, he began to envy Elder Yu.
It was said that Elder Yu, leading the Monster Hunters, had snatched a Spiritual mine from the Qian Family’s jaws, as if snatching food from a tiger’s mouth.
It has always been the Qian Family snatching from others, and this was the first time someone had snatched from them, and not just anything, but an entire Spiritual mine, which was really something.
Master Ban marveled at the thought.
He had many years of acquaintance with Elder Yu, and this time, as Elder Yu benefitted, they too had enjoyed some good fortune; such a large construction project had been entrusted to them.
If they could complete both phases, including the Refinery Shop and the Alchemist’s Business, they wouldn’t have to worry about their livelihood for the next two years. Even taking on some small jobs afterward would be enough to feed their families.
They wouldn’t have to be as worried as before, angst-ridden due to a lack of projects.
With his mind somewhat at ease, Master Ban urged his apprentices to start working, reminding them to be serious and meticulous in their work.
Since Elder Yu had given them an opportunity, they had to show their true skills and make sure the work was thorough and meticulous; they couldn’t let Elder Yu down, and they couldn’t let others look down on them.
The construction of the Refinery Shop then began in earnest.
Elder Yu had already purchased the construction materials, which were delivered in batches to the wasteland south of the city.
The craftsmen started leveling the ground, laying the foundations, and pre-processing various building materials of earth and wood.
Master Ban was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. For such a large project, he had to oversee everything from beginning to end, making sure every detail was checked, wishing he could clone himself.
Apart from the craftsmen, some Monster Hunters also came over to help. Although they didn’t engage in construction and lacked the skills, they were, after all, practicers of Body Refinement, strong and robust, and could help by moving bricks and stones, lifting elm wood, and digging foundations.
Many hands make light work; with more people, the construction could progress faster.
Master Ban was pleased but also vigilant.
With more workers, things could easily get messy, and it became easier for unrelated people to slip in.
Having been a craftsman for so many years, he had experienced such situations. Some people mingled in out of curiosity or to watch the spectacle, some to steal things, and some came with malicious intent.
Since Elder Yu and the Qian Family were at odds, it was possible for the Qian Family to send someone with ill intentions.
Master Ban became extremely alert, keeping an eye on the Cultivators coming and going on the site, checking for unfamiliar faces.
Then he saw a young Cultivator crouching near the newly laid foundation, sticking his little head out, curiously looking at something.