Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2046 Chapter 978: Solitary Mountain Formation (Part 2)

Upon realizing Mo Hua's objective, Elder Master Xun reflected for a moment. His expression soon brightened, and he gave his enthusiastic consent.

This was, without question, a marvelous chance.

The Dao of Formation cannot be mastered through mere theoretical study; the core principle is to "apply what you've learned" through practice.

However, within the confines of the Sect, such practical applications are a rarity.

Solitary Mountain City presented a perfect venue for this. Furthermore, the act of benefiting the local region was highly significant and aligned perfectly with the core mission of Taixu Gate.

Elder Master Xun nodded, instructing, "You shall manage all the arrangements."

Consequently, a few days later during the scheduled lesson time, Mo Hua led a group of Taixu Gate Junior Brothers to Solitary Mountain for a session of "off-campus formation practice."

This specific group of Junior Brothers possessed unique gifts in the Dao of Formation and were dedicated to becoming prominent Formation Masters in the future.

Despite being well-schooled in their respective family traditions, their work had always been confined to drawing formations on paper. This was essentially their first time participating in the actual construction of such a massive Tao Cultivation project, making the experience feel both novel and exhilarating.

The entire initiative had been organized by Mo Hua, their "Junior Brother."

Mo Hua even distributed a portion of his own merit points—which were so vast they seemed inexhaustible—as compensation for their formation work.

As a result, every disciple performed their tasks with the utmost seriousness.

Born into families with deep heritage and admitted into Taixu Gate, they were the "elite among elites" and true formation geniuses. Their diligent study at Taixu Gate ensured that the formations they produced were both rapid and of high quality.

Many disciples even engaged in silent competition, vying to see who could produce the best work in the shortest time.

The atmosphere was charged with a competitive spirit.

However, their confidence wavered once they observed Mo Hua drawing a formation.

Back at the Sect, drawing individual formations on paper already made one seem fast compared to Mo Hua. But here at Solitary Mountain, dealing with a large-scale formation project that demanded immense volume, they finally witnessed Mo Hua's truly "fearsome" capabilities.

Mo Hua moved his brush with a flow like drifting clouds and rushing water, his strokes dancing like dragons and snakes. While others were struggling to complete a few formation patterns, he had already finished an entire sequence of formations.

His craft was flawless; the formation patterns were so precise and elegant they looked as if they had been printed directly from a diagram without a single error.

The formation diagrams were etched into his mind with such familiarity that he did not even need to glance at a reference.

His speed was breathtaking. No matter the complexity, the spiritual ink flowed, and within a few breaths, a complete formation would manifest under Mo Hua's brush.

A sense of natural grace swirled within the formations, leaving onlookers both stunned and inspired.

The disciples stood frozen in shock.

Only now did they grasp that their Junior Brother usually hid his true light; his proficiency in formations was far more terrifying than they had ever suspected.

A wave of discouragement washed over the Junior Brothers.

Yet, that initial dejection soon transformed into a new ambition.

With "Junior Brother" serving as their benchmark, they knew that even if they couldn't overtake him, they couldn't afford to lag too far behind and lose his respect.

Fixing their eyes on Mo Hua's back, the disciples refocused with renewed intensity, striving to complete their assigned formations with maximum speed and precision.

Feeling fatigued, Mo Hua paused to catch his breath, intending to offer some words of encouragement. However, when he turned around, he found everyone brimming with energy and working diligently, a sight that left him both surprised and pleased.

"They are truly promising talents..."

With Mo Hua, the "great genius," directing this assembly of Taixu Gate "little geniuses," the progress on the Solitary Mountain Compound Formation was incredibly swift.

The primary structure of the formation was finished in under ten days.

Since the remaining minor formations could be easily handled by Mo Hua himself, he prepared to escort the Junior Brothers back to Taixu Gate.

As they descended from Solitary Mountain and entered Solitary Mountain City, the surrounding views were far from pleasant.

The mountains were desolate, and the city itself lay in ruins.

Along the path stood loose cultivators dressed in rags, their faces sallow and their children's limbs as thin as sticks, appearing like scorched charcoal.

Zheng Fang's brow furrowed, and after a long hesitation, he finally spoke to Mo Hua in a low voice:

"Junior Brother, why are these cultivators so destitute?"

On the journey there, they had traveled by carriage and worked in isolation at the peak of Solitary Mountain, so they had not truly witnessed the reality of the city.

The other Taixu Gate disciples also turned to Mo Hua, their eyes filled with visible discomfort.

Mo Hua paused, asking, "Have you truly never encountered cultivators like this before?"

Zheng Fang gave a quiet "hmm," and the others nodded in agreement.

Mo Hua’s expression shifted slightly as he realized the truth.

Zheng Fang and the others were the scions of aristocratic families. Even those from less prominent lineages were well-supported by their clans; they were "pampered" youths who associated with other nobles, living their lives within great families, prestigious sects, or thriving immortal cities.

They had never witnessed genuine destitution.

In the various immortal cities, there were always some less fortunate cultivators who wore simple clothes and ate plain food, unable to afford pricey spiritual artifacts or piles of spirit stones for their Cultivation.

In their minds, those were already considered the "poor" cultivators.

But the reality of true "impoverishment" was beyond their comprehension.

Just as the destitute cannot conceive the true scale of "wealth," the wealthy cannot fathom how deep the abyss of "poverty" truly goes.

Mo Hua felt a complex swirl of emotions.

Zheng Fang asked, "Junior Brother, are there many people living in such poverty?"

Mo Hua remained quiet for a moment before offering a conservative estimate: "At least half of the cultivators in this world live like this."

Of the remaining half, most lived only slightly better lives.

They still struggled for survival and suffered for the sake of their Cultivation.

The true children of aristocratic families were but a tiny fraction of the population.

But the Nine States are vast, and the number of cultivators is simply too great.