Chapter 182: Progress_1
Mo Hua followed the planned Architectural Formation Map, drawing one Formation after another, one Compound Formation set after another, methodically, with no detail overlooked.
When his Divine Sense was exhausted, he would sit in meditation to recover, and when tired, he would sit on the side for a rest, taking out Formation Books to relieve the fatigue with some theory.
After a good rest, he continued Drawing Formation.
This kind of large-scale construction required intricate Formation Patterns, and while the actual drawing was not particularly difficult, it was monotonous and tested the Formation Master’s patience and concentration.
Fortunately, Mo Hua had become accustomed to Formation Painting, having practiced day and night in the past, and he had adapted to the actual process.
Moreover, he had amassed a thousand bottles of Monster Blood, all turned into Spiritual Ink, which he realized he should use now, lest the ink’s potency waned over time, which would be a waste.
That was blood Mo Hua had drawn bottle by bottle from the Monster Beasts.
Days passed, and Mo Hua was the only one continuously working on the Formation.
Master Ban realized that Elder Yu had indeed not invited other Formation Masters; Mo Hua was the only one painting the Formations.
Such a large Refinery Shop, with so many buildings, so many Formations, all containing numerous Formation Patterns, was all to be painted by one person.
Just thinking about it made Master Ban’s scalp tingle.
This could go on till who knew when…
Master Ban was anxious, but he did not dare to directly ask Mo Hua about it.
First, Mo Hua was concentrating on his work and shouldn’t be disturbed.
Second, since learning that Mo Hua was a Formation Master capable of painting a First-grade Formation Method, Master Ban felt a newfound reverence and no longer dared to initiate conversation with Mo Hua.
Formation Masters have always been of esteemed status, a distinction far removed from these lowly Loose Cultivators.
As a craftsmen, Master Ban often interacted with Formation Masters, most of whom were difficult to deal with, either arrogant or greedy, and while some may appear polite on the surface, they looked down upon craftsmen.
After all, craftsmen were considered to be mere laborers engaged in grueling physical work, incapable of comparing to Formation Masters.
Therefore, they dared not offend Formation Masters and were often hassled by them.
If a building material wasn’t suitable for Drawing Formation, a Formation Master would have them replace it; if a layout did not match the Architectural Formation Map, they would be ordered to dismantle and rebuild it; and sometimes, even when it was the Formation Master who made a mistake in painting the Formation, it was still the craftsmen who had to make the corrections.
Master Ban hesitated for several days, yet he still did not dare to speak to Mo Hua.
However, after a few days, Master Ban was astonished to find that many of the foundations and interior walls of the buildings already had Formations painted on them.
Master Ban walked back and forth several times, checking against the Architectural Formation Map, and found that the Formations indeed matched the planned ones on the map without the slightest deviation.
Master Ban was dumbfounded; these Formations had been painted far too quickly!
So many Formations, in such a short time, could really be completed by a single Formation Master?
Master Ban quietly observed Mo Hua further.
Only then did he notice that Mo Hua’s brushwork was extremely skilled, without a moment’s hesitation, as if the Formation Patterns were etched in his heart, and he painted with a fluid grace and impressive speed!
In Master Ban’s experience, Formation Masters contemplating a Formation Diagram would often be pensive and cautious before every stroke, looking pale after completing a Formation and needing to rest while sipping tea, dragging the time out considerably.
But not Mo Hua, who decisively brushed each stroke, completing a Formation with each fall of the pen and quickly moving on to the next one.
Even his breaks were bouts of focused meditation, after which he would quickly return, rejuvenated and ready to proceed.
By such measures, four or five Formation Masters together might not be faster than Mo Hua alone.
Master Ban had truly had an eye-opening experience.
For so many years, he had never seen anyone who could paint Formations with the ease of drinking water.
“Could it be… he can really finish drawing so many Formations by himself before the deadline?”
Master Ban was somewhat incredulous yet also looked forward to it with anticipation.
Mo Hua drew the Formations with methodical precision yet with a flow as natural as drifting clouds. Meanwhile, the construction of such a large Refinery Shop in Tongxian City had naturally become common knowledge among the influential families in the city.
Not far from the Refinery Shop, there was a street with a tea house. On the second floor, there was a tastefully arranged private room, simple yet elegant, filled with a fragrant mist and the pervasive scent of tea.
Old Master An and the Family Head of the An Family, An Yonglu, sat facing each other, drinking tea in the private room.
An Yonglu poured tea for Old Master An, frowning as he said,
“Elder Yu really went all out this time, building such a large Refinery Shop…”
“They snatched the Spiritual mines, gained some capital, and naturally, they want to undertake big ventures.”
“The Qian Family really lost their wife and soldiers this time, they’ve suffered a great loss!” An Yonglu said, somewhat gloating.
Old Master An glanced at his son and said helplessly, “You don’t think this is good news for us, do you?”
An Yonglu was startled, “Isn’t it good news that the Qian Family is at a loss?”
Old Master An, exasperated, “Let me ask you, with such a large Refinery Shop built and so many Spiritual Artifacts being refined, it’s not only the Qian Family that will be affected, our An Family’s business will also be impacted…”
“And look at this layout, it’s not just a Refinery Shop, but there’s also an Alchemist’s Business. What if Yu Changlin really gets it built? How could we compete with him then?”
“But that’s Qian Family’s problem to worry about first, our An Family doesn’t have much business in Artifact Refining and Alchemy.”
Old Master An glared at him, “You want to do the Food Building business for a lifetime? Can you achieve anything substantial through the Food Building?”
“I know that, but we’re not as ruthless and heavy-handed as the Qian Family, are we? We can’t compete in Artifact Refining and Alchemy, so we can only do the Food Building business which brings harmony and profit…” An Yonglu said softly.
Old Master An sighed, “It’s not Xiaofu’s fault; even as his father, you can’t support him.”
An Yonglu felt somewhat indignant, “Dad, Xiaofu is far inferior to me. If he had half of my abilities, leading the Family as the Head would be no problem.”
Old Master An coldly said, “You’ve really achieved something, comparing yourself with your own son.”
An Yonglu felt embarrassed.
Old Master An took a sip of his tea and said no more, only casting occasional glances toward the still-unfinished Refinery Shop.
Such a grand scheme, such a large framework, Elder Yu really has grand ambitions…
Old Master An sighed inwardly; he was old now, and even if he had the capital, he no longer had the energy or the ambition.
An Yonglu thought for a moment and asked, “Dad, can such a big Refinery Shop be built successfully?”
Old Master An shot him a glance.
An Yonglu continued, “The Qian Family won’t just let it go, right? They won’t sit back and watch these Loose Cultivators rise to power. After all, the wool comes from the sheep; if these Loose Cultivators grow strong, the Qian Family will have a hard time. The Qian Family has always been in the business of shearing wool.”
“What you said is not wrong,” Old Master An nodded slightly.
“So, what should we do?” An Yonglu asked.
Old Master An raised an eyebrow and said indifferently, “We’ll just wait and see how things unfold.”
An Yonglu nodded, waiting to see if the Qian Family would make a move.
While the An Family might be anxious about the stir Elder Yu was causing, there was no need for haste since their main business was the Food Building. They had already been squeezed out by the Qian Family from the Artifact Refining and Alchemy business and had no foothold left.
But it was different for the Qian Family; their core was in the Artifact Refining and Alchemy industries, and they were certainly more anxious than anyone else now.