Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2122 Chapter 1003: Taking Action

Linghu Xiao appeared utterly detached.

Ouyang Xuan displayed a sneer of derision.

Mo Hua, Cheng Mo, along with Situ Jian, each showed expressions tinged with nuance.

The youth held his tongue after that. Having uttered his sharp words, he shot a challenging look toward Linghu Xiao before striding off proudly.

Once he departed, silence enveloped the area briefly.

Mo Hua slowly grasped an issue and furrowed his brow:

"He demanded we recall his name, yet... he never actually stated it?"

Situ Jian reflected briefly, "Is he assuming everyone already knows his identity?"

Cheng Mo felt intrigued too, "Just who is this guy?"

Mo Hua pulled out his Taixu Token, located the rival team in the matchup, scanned the names of those five adversaries, and a spark of insight hit him, allowing quick deduction until he pinpointed the name:

"Wu Ming."

"So his name's 'Wu Ming'?"

"Wu, drawn from 'mouth' plus 'sky', and Ming, meaning 'sun' combined with 'moon'."

"Ah... so he's part of the Wu family," Cheng Mo remarked.

"The Wu family?" Mo Hua inquired.

"They're an elite family in rune crafting, raking in tons of Spirit Stones, incredibly rich," Situ Jian summed up clearly, "Their primary branch sits in Kun State, though Wu family offshoots dot various spots throughout the Nine State."

"Incredibly rich?"

"Indeed, incredibly rich." Situ Jian affirmed with a nod, "Qian State boasts ancient roots, drawing in geniuses from every corner, which spawns prodigies and clusters noble houses."

"On the flip side, Kun State's lush terrain and plentiful assets made it the wealthiest among the Nine State. This fostered numerous affluent noble houses and mighty clans."

"The Wu family ranks among Kun State's mighty clans. Their riches let them dive into the pricey rune-crafting trade, where runes fetch high prices, the trade itself yields massive gains, propelling the Wu family to ever greater heights..."

Situ Jian laid it out point by point for Mo Hua.

He's steady and thorough, sharp-minded and keen to absorb knowledge, well-versed in noble houses, with most of Mo Hua's insights on them sourced from him.

Yet Mo Hua wondered:

"Why do runes bring such 'massive gains'?"

In his usual battles against cultivators, he seldom spots anyone deploying runes.

Runes serve just as backup tools for crises or fleeing. So far, no cultivator he's faced relies on 'runes' as their core fighting method.

Situ Jian replied, "Plenty of factors play into that: steep prices, oversight by the Taoist Court, single-use nature... So most cultivators avoid heavy reliance on runes."

"The stronger the cultivator, the deeper their grasp of advanced Taoist Skills, reducing any need for rune dependence."

"Runes shine brightest in Taoist Cultivation wars and certain mid-to-large battles among cultivators, serving for quick barrages or precise blasts, among other tactics."

"Taoist Cultivation warfare revolves around expending Spirit Stones."

"Without burning Spirit Stones, it's 'lives' that get sacrificed instead."

"During conflicts, the prime method to expend Spirit Stones is via 'Formation'."

"However, Formation demands space, proves challenging, needs Formation Masters to orchestrate, setup's intricate, upkeep's tough, demands advance setup, faces heavy constraints in combat, and yields mediocre results."

"Aside from Formation, runes step in. They're straightforward, potent, handy, sudden, ready to activate right after release, packing solid destructive force."

"Usually, the Taoist Court or major powers buy bulk runes at decent rates to serve as 'military gear' in grand-scale cultivator clashes."

"Yet crafting runes demands vast funding. Only ultra-rich noble families in Kun State, whose heirs possess strong Spiritual Roots and ample Spiritual Power, backed by solid heritage, heaps of Spirit Stones, and local bounties, can mass-produce runes..."

Mo Hua nodded, getting the gist.

Runes act as "military arms."

Kun State's noble families function as "big landlords."

These big landlords peddling military arms reap huge profits, rising to "mighty clans."

Mo Hua eyed the matchup roster. This round's foes hailed from the "Spirit Talisman Sect" of the Twelve Streams.

"Spirit Talisman Sect..." Mo Hua mused.

"Spirit Talisman Sect focuses on rune-refining expertise." Situ Jian noted, "Certain major noble families in Kun State skip pushing their disciples toward the Four Sects and Eight Gates legacies, opting instead for structured training in scarce rune-refining techniques."

"Hence, despite being part of the Twelve Streams, Spirit Talisman Sect excels in rune production yet boasts disciples of top-notch caliber."

"Even more so, the Spirit Talisman Sect overflows with wealth."

Mo Hua grew interested, "Just how loaded are they?"

Situ Jian responded, "Word has it, richer than the bulk of the Eight Great Gates."

"How come?" Mo Hua puzzled, "They run a rune-crafting business? Market runes on their own?"

Situ Jian agreed with a nod, "Likely so..."

Though he's unclear on the finer points.

Right then, Ouyang Xuan, who'd been brooding nearby while listening in on their chat, spoke coolly:

"It's due to backing from Kun State's mighty clans."

"Backed by Kun State's mighty clans?" Mo Hua showed mild astonishment.

Noticing Mo Hua concealing his own lack of knowledge, Ouyang Xuan suppressed a subtle smirk before continuing:

"Certain mighty clans in Kun State, such as the Wu family, supply vast quantities of Spirit Stones and plentiful resources to aid Spirit Talisman Sect in advancing rune-refining methods."

"In exchange, the rune-crafting techniques developed by Spirit Talisman Sect aid Kun State's mighty clans."

"Meanwhile, Spirit Talisman Sect sets aside select 'special class' entry spots for Kun State's mighty clans, forging ties via teacher-student bonds and mutual gains."

"This influx of Spirit Stones proves immense, matching the Twelve Sects' portion from Mount Qianlong's spirit mines."

"As such, this Twelve Streams' Spirit Talisman Sect outstrips most Eight Great Gates in wealth."

"Most other sects stick to straightforward legacy paths, with just minor side ventures now and then."

"Yet Spirit Talisman Sect blends sect and mighty clan structures, pooling Taoist Cultivation methods, forging tight-knit alliances..."