Chapter 120: Preparation Before the War
Translator: Cenniwdyl Editor: Caron_
In Yu Clan, the four of them were finally designated separate rooms. Right now, there was no time to practice concocting pills or cultivate, so when Mo Tiange entered her Virtual Sky World, she just stayed for a short while and took several books out.
Because she had a memory of what happened in this Virtual Sky World, Mo Tiange understood why she could enter the Virtual Sky World so easily. Until the Virtual Sky World found her, it wandered around the world. There must’ve been a lot of people who tried to drop their blood onto it to make it recognize them as its master, but only Mo Tiange was successful. The reason was probably her Spiritual Roots of the Origin.
This Virtual Sky World was from the Distant Past era. The cultivation techniques from that era were completely different from modern techniques. Even though Spiritual Roots of the Origin were also extremely rare and only appeared every few thousands of years, everyone in that era cultivated with the Art of the Origin. Therefore, those who possessed spiritual power definitely had Primal Chaos inside their bodies. The Virtual Sky World was created in that era, so its essence was also connected to Primal Chaos. Thus, because the Art of the Origin went extinct, many people of the present era who dropped their blood onto the pearl were unable to rouse the Virtual Sky World. Mo Tiange guessed that the other Deification cultivator who possessed a Virtual Sky World aside from Zhong Muling must’ve used some special technique to create Primal Chaos and make the Virtual Sky World recognize him as its master.
Inside the Virtual Sky World were traces of its former master. She didn’t know what kind of holy person its previous master was, but they left behind numerous books. Unfortunately, they didn’t leave any magic weapons. Presumably, they were carried with the previous master’s corporeal body and were lost when they died.
However, that person must’ve been a cultivator with great divine power. Mo Tiange found a journal belonging to the previous master in which some of their thoughts on cultivation were written down. She didn’t understand it, but she knew this was because her cultivation level was too low.
From what Yuan Bao told her, people with great divine power in the Distant Past era weren’t equivalent to present day ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. Rather, they were in a realm above Deification realm that was still unknown to them. The reason he said this was because these kinds of writings also existed in Zhong Muling’s Virtual Sky World, but in their current realm, they were also unable to comprehend them.
Nevertheless, along with the journal were some plain books that could already send her to heaven from the shock. Books describing pill-concocting techniques, talisman-creating techniques, tool-refining techniques, formation techniques, and even gear-operating techniques—there were a lot of them. Because she was most proficient in formations, the first thing she learned was formation techniques.
A type of Illusory Sky Formation was described; it was probably the same formation Zhong Muling laid outside his Virtual Sky World. The book said this formation could manifest all kinds of earthly phenomena once it was laid. The ones she experienced were merely two kinds of Illusory Sky Formations with the lowest amount of power.
Her current understanding was limited to this. One’s cultivation level also influenced their ability to comprehend Dao. Meanwhile, Yin and Yang and the five elements, which were part of Dao, were the foundation of formations. If Mo Tiange’s realm wasn’t high enough, she wouldn’t be able to move forward.
Even if she disregarded the Illusory Sky Formation, the simple and practicable formations recorded inside the book weren’t something present-day formations could compare to.
The Yu Clan’s defense formation was known as the Four Symbols Formation. Although it wasn’t a particularly common formation, it also wasn’t a high level formation. Generally, only a few medium-sized cultivation clans used it. Mo Tiange also found Four Symbols Formation inside the books, but the technique used to lay it was different from the technique used now, and its power was also far greater.
In addition, there was also something known as Four Symbols Hundred Flowers Formation, which was a modified version of the Four Symbols Formation. The technique used to lay the Prosperity-Decline Formation had been integrated with Four Symbols Formation, transforming it into a kind of hybrid formation. It was both a four-symbol and a hundred flower formation at the same time. The two kinds of formations were completely unrelated to each other, yet they formed one formation. One formation-breaking technique basically wasn’t enough to break it.
When she saw this method of laying formations, the awe Mo Tiange felt for this previous master increased. This principle was really obvious, yet she had never thought of using this kind of method before.
When demonic beasts cultivated and became high rank demonic beasts, they developed some intelligence, but third and fourth rank demonic beasts were still unable to comprehend human language. Their bodies were sturdy and they had no spiritual roots limiting them, so both their cultivation and spiritual power were purer than humans; they were so pure that they could dominate fights of magical powers against humans. Nonetheless, through relying on external objects born of their wisdom, human cultivators were usually able to defeat those demonic beasts. These objects included magic weapons, talismans, formations, and the like.
Among those things, formations were the most inexpensive and effective ones. Clan Master Yu was a smart person. After Mo Tiange promised to lay another formation for Yu Clan, he became even more cordial towards her. He even sent a lot of cultivators to assist her.
However, Mo Tiange ushered all of them back, not because she was afraid her secrets would be discovered by others, but because those Aura refining cultivators were more of a hindrance than helpful. She might as well do everything herself.
Apart from formation discs, formation flags, and spirit stones, the materials needed for laying a formation also encompassed spiritual beasts, spiritual plants, and other spiritual objects. There were two reasons why Mo Tiange directly chose to modify Four Symbols Formation. Firstly, the original formation of Yu Clan was this Four Symbols Formation, so modifying it was more convenient. The second reason was because the materials required were simple. It only required a kind of spiritual wood she happened to have inside her Virtual Sky World.
After spending an entire day to develop full insight into this Four Symbols Formation, Mo Tiange only needed to spend an hour to lay the formation, effortlessly finishing her work.
It was said that Yu Clan had two other young cultivators in Danding School. As for Clan Master Yu, he had actually taken Look-Preserving Pills, which was why he looked that young. Madam Yu also wasn’t young. Among the four of them, the youngest was about 100 years old, but none of them had reached the late stage of the Foundation Building realm. Because of that, they chose to return and wholeheartedly nurture the younger generations.
Although the cultivation levels of those four Yu Clan cultivators were relatively low, they had good insight and the other Yu Clan cultivators also had enough foundational knowledge. Unfortunately, they obviously couldn’t compare to elite disciples from Xuanqing School. They even weren’t as good as ordinary disciples from Clear Spring Peak. This situation caused Luo Fengxue to feel both angry and anxious.
Mo Tiange was sitting leisurely on the side, reading a formation book and simultaneously watching Luo Fengxue exasperatedly lecturing the younger generations of Yu Clan.
“Hey, you! Can you use talismans or not?”
“Senior… I-I’m only in the first layer of the Aura Refining realm…”
“Even if you’re only in the first layer of the Aura Refining realm, you’re still a cultivator! You’re a cultivator but you can’t use talismans? Such a disgrace! Go to the side and take a good look!” Then she stood in position, took out a talisman and confidently gave a short demonstration.
“Can you do it now?”
“…” The boy, who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old, stared at Luo Fengxue in fright.
Furious at his stare, Luo Fengxue scolded, “You still can’t!?”
“Senior…” That child called out tearfully, “I-I’ll learn it slowly. Please don’t make me move things; others will laugh at me.”
Moving things was the work of mortals. These past two days, Luo Fengxue had been reorganizing the members of Yu Clan. Mortals were tasked with miscellaneous chores while cultivators practiced several simple formations as well as different techniques for fights of magical powers.
Luo Fengxue was already used to doing these kinds of things. She moved very quickly. Within just one day, she had assigned appropriate chores to the appropriate people.
As she watched that child crying, some of the anger Luo Fengxue felt faded. She had always been a popular person at the school. In addition to having a high status, she also had a good personality. Even when ordinary disciples sought her help, she always did what she could to help. Thus, upon seeing that the child was staring at her so miserably, she became softhearted.
“You, come here!” Luo Fengxue called out to a third layer Aura Refining cultivator who seemed to be about thirty years old then she pointed at the child. “Teach him how to use talismans.”
Although the cultivator obediently came forward, he was also trembling in fear. He answered cautiously, “Yes.”
And so, that senior cultivator taught him how to use talismans in detail with Luo Fengxue occasionally advising them. An hour later, that boy once again cried out tearfully, “Senior, you’d better assign me to move things!”
In just an instant, Luo Fengxue’s anger soared; almost everything in front of her went black.
At that moment, Mo Tiange could no longer hold back and snickered behind them.
Her muffled laughter was transmitted to Luo Fengxue, who then turned around ferociously. Seeing that it was Mo Tiange, Luo Fengxue lost her temper, ordered the relatively remarkable Aura Refining cultivators to continue teaching the other, and came and sat weakly beside Mo Tiange.
Mo Tiange stopped smiling and proceeded to earnestly console Luo Fengxue, “Forget it. Seeing as these cultivators didn’t even qualify to enter a cultivation group, that already shows you what their skills are like. Demanding them to follow the standards of our disciples is indeed asking too much.”
Luo Fengxue bellowed, “Demanding them!? I’m not demanding them, okay!? For Xuanqing School’s disciples, several ordinary Aura Refining disciples working together on one formation wouldn’t have any problems with fighting a second rank demonic beast, let alone elite disciples. But take a look at them! What am I demanding? Demanding that they perform their duties and use what they have to use, but unexpectedly, they can’t even use talismans!” She paused, furiously turned her head around and continued, “Tell me, have you ever heard of cultivators who are unable to use talismans? That doesn’t even require any skill!”
Mo Tiange sighed and said, “I’ve met those kinds of cultivators before.”
Luo Fengxue originally said that just to express her anger, but when she heard Mo Tiange’s earnest answer, she was stunned and said, “There really are?”
“En.” Mo Tiange nodded and said, “Back when I used to wander around the world with my Second Uncle, what haven’t I seen? There are lots of cultivation clans worsening with each generation. Some younger generations in cultivation clans have mixed spiritual roots, which are extremely weak in some cases. Allowing them to cultivate is just a bit better than doing nothing. Some of them are trapped in the first layer of the Aura Refining realm their whole lives, and some of them have intelligence equivalent to or even worse than mortals—My Ye Clan also fell like that.”
Luo Fengxue was silent. She was taken in by Master Daoist Xuanyin from the secular world. Because her spiritual roots were excellent, she was brought directly to Mount Taikang and was accepted as an inner disciple. Hence, she wasn’t very aware of matters regarding cultivation clans.
“Forget it. When the time comes, they can fight against first rank demonic beasts and we’ll handle the rest. You don’t have to be too worried; Senior Martial Sister Han will have some plans. In the end, don’t we have to depend on ourselves anyway? It’s already good enough if these Aura Refining disciples can protect themselves.”
“I just hope we won’t be distracted because we have to protect them, but they—fine, I admit this matter is beyond my capabilities.”
Mo Tiange chuckled. It was rare to see Luo Fengxue so dejected. She said, “Haven’t you long understood this? Everyone has their strong and weak points; fighting has never been your forte, so you’d better let them do these things on their own and make preparations for yourself.”
“En, you’re right,” Luo Fengxue pondered, discarded her unhappy mood and said, “Right, do you still have any talismans left? I used most of mine. Eldest martial sister gave me some but they’re still not enough.”
Mo Tiange knew Luo Fengxue wasn’t good at using magic tools so she needed talismans more than the rest of them. After counting roughly in her mind, she took out a pile of talismans and said, “I still have many. These are the ones martial uncle gave me, and there are these…”
Upon seeing Mo Tiange taking out all her talismans, Luo Fengxue cheered loudly. The two of them checked and divided the talismans.
“Eh! Tiange, these talismans are really strange. They don’t look like they were created by the master and seem very powerful… There’s no way you got these from buying them outside; where did you get them?”
Mo Tiange looked at the talismans Luo Fengxue mentioned. They were the ones Zhong Muling gave her. The talismans made by a Deification cultivator, even if the talismans’ grade had been deliberately decreased, still weren’t simple goods.
“Eh…”
“Is it inconvenient to say?”
“No,” Mo Tiange said, “They were given to me by Martial Uncle Shoujing.”
“En?” Luo Fengxue, who was examining the talismans, was stunned. She then looked up and stared at Mo Tiange.
Mo Tiange’s expression remained the same. It was just that there seemed to be some veiled secret in her gaze.