Chapter 351: Raising Funds

Previously, Mo Hua had tried it before—the collapse of a compound formation produced a backlash of spiritual energy strong enough to wound this Fengxi.

It's just that the Fengxi's blood qi was too overwhelming, and its regeneration too swift; a small-scale collapse simply couldn't kill it, but a large-scale formation collapse was an entirely different matter.

If the entire great formation were to collapse, just how powerful would the resulting force of collapse be…

Mo Hua tried to imagine it, and couldn't help feeling a chill in his heart.

It was best not to let things reach that point…

Building a great formation required immense hardship and countless manpower and resources—Mo Hua was reluctant to waste it.

Still, when he had the time, he should use his divine sense to derive and calculate the great formation, preparing in advance.

Even if it wasn't used for collapse, using divine sense derivation to deepen his understanding of the great formation would be of great benefit.

After all, a true chance to draw a great formation was once in a thousand years.

The matter of building the great formation to suppress and slay the Fengxi was approved by the Dao Ting Si, the Dao Bing Si, and Elder Yu, and was officially announced to the cultivators of Xiancheng.

The cultivators of Xiancheng reacted in all sorts of ways.

Some cultivators from minor clans didn't believe a great formation could be built and didn't want to take part; they packed their bags overnight and slipped away.

Some cultivators with family assets or special status had long prepared escape routes and naturally wouldn't stay in Xiancheng to take risks.

Some loose cultivators also thought building a great formation was a fantasy; they quietly left without saying goodbye and went to seek other livelihoods.

Other cultivators or factions with any connections or alternatives also drifted away, one after another.

By contrast, the vast majority of loose cultivators and nearly all the demon hunters chose to stay.

They had lived in Xiancheng for generations—born here, raised here, born, married, had children, and grown old here; every joy and sorrow of their lives was bound to Xiancheng.

It was hard to leave one's homeland; they didn't want to abandon the city and flee.

As long as there was a sliver of hope, they would fight for it.

Moreover, after everything that had happened, they trusted Elder Yu, and trusted Mo Hua even more.

Much of the life they enjoyed today was thanks to Mo Hua's formations.

Now that Mo Hua wanted to build a great formation, they all wanted to lend him a hand.

Besides, this great formation was being built for their own sake.

On the artifact-forging side, Master Chen took the lead and most stayed; on the alchemy side, Old Mr. Feng called the shots, and most alchemists also wanted to stay and do their part.

Mo Hua was briefly moved.

At this critical moment, most of the "upper-class" cultivators in Xiancheng abandoned the city and fled;

yet the bottom-tier cultivators who had endured so much in Xiancheng were giving their all to protect the city…

But some cultivators fleeing didn't really matter.

With most loose cultivators staying, the manpower foundation for building the great formation was in place.

Building the great formation required formation media, and construction required master craftsmen, so Elder Yu went to invite Master Ban.

Master Ban agreed without a second thought upon hearing the request.

He had received Elder Yu's kindness, owed Mo Hua a favor, and was utterly amazed by Mo Hua's formation mastery.

Now that a chance to repay them had come, he agreed almost without thinking.

Besides, this was building a great formation.

In his entire life, including every craftsman he had dealt with, none had ever built a great formation—Master Ban naturally wanted to witness it.

Master Ban sighed inwardly:

"This is a grand undertaking. If the great formation can truly be built, it will be an event recorded in the annals of the prefecture, something to boast about to one's descendants for a lifetime."

The group of craftsmen under Master Ban all nodded in agreement.

With the manpower for the great formation settled, the next step was to raise spirit stones and supplies.

Elder Yu donated the bulk of the demon hunters' earnings.

This included the spirit mines the demon hunters had seized, the recent profits of the artifact-forging and alchemy trades, and some of his own personal savings.

Other loose cultivators, more or less, also donated some spirit stones, keeping only enough for basic cultivation expenses.

Seeing Mo Shan also donated; Liu Ruhua donated most of the spirit stones she had saved since opening her eatery.

She was a little reluctant, after all these were meant for Mo Hua's future cultivation, buying a cave dwelling, and taking a Dao companion.

But now the great formation was being led by Mo Hua, so these spirit stones were, in a sense, being used according to his wishes.

Mo Hua also donated the ten thousand spirit stones Elder Yu had given him earlier, but Elder Yu refused to accept them.

Elder Yu glared, beard bristling: "Don't add to the chaos!"

"The great formation is mine to build, so naturally I should donate some spirit stones too," Mo Hua said.

"We don't need your little bit," Elder Yu refused.

Ten thousand spirit stones… and he calls that a little bit…

"But…"

Mo Hua tried to say more, but Elder Yu cut him off:

"These are for your Foundation Establishment. Whether the great formation gets built or whether the Fengxi gets killed, your Foundation Establishment cannot be delayed."

Elder Yu said in a solemn tone: "Your Foundation Establishment is what matters most!"

"But we have to get through the crisis in front of us first…"

"Whether we get through this crisis or not, you must establish your Foundation!" Elder Yu repeated once more.

Seeing Mo Hua still wanted to speak, Elder Yu sighed:

"If you truly feel bad about it, then once you've established your Foundation and become a second-rank formation master, help us out when you're able."

"A second-rank formation master would truly carry great weight; at that point, whatever you do would be a little easier."

Mo Hua nodded. Elder Yu was right, but he didn't know that, for him, whether the great formation could be built was equally important.

He intended to build a great array, step by step, to comprehend deeper array techniques.

Mo Hua still insisted on giving the spirit stones to Elder Yu.

Elder Yu sighed and reluctantly accepted them, then, while Mo Hua wasn't looking, swiftly slipped them back into Mo Hua's arms.

"There, you've already donated. Now I'm giving them back to you."

Mo Hua was both amused and exasperated.

"How can an array master work without compensation?" Elder Yu said sternly. "Keep them properly."

Mo Hua knew Elder Yu was stubborn, so he accepted them.

The collection of spirit stones proceeded methodically, but relying solely on demon hunters and free cultivators was clearly far from sufficient.

Mo Hua went again to see Zhou Zhangsi.

Zhou Zhangsi stroked his beard and offered two solutions:

"First, I submit a petition to Dao Ting Si for more spirit stones and supplies, citing disaster relief and city relocation due to spirit stone shortages…"

"Why not say outright it's for building the great array?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.

"If you say it's for building a great array, it will never be approved," Zhou Zhangsi said.

Mo Hua froze slightly.

Zhou Zhangsi then explained to Mo Hua:

"If I say we're building a great array, Dao Ting Si won't believe it, let alone approve it. Tong Xiancheng is just a small immortal city—there aren't even a handful of first-rank array masters. What could possibly justify building a great array?"

"Even if they believed us and wanted to approve it, they'd send inspectors to verify everything."

"Dao Ting Si is bloated with bureaucracy and tangled interests. I have no patrons above me. By the time this back-and-forth ends, who knows how much time will have passed?"

"Moreover, the cultivation materials needed for a great array are a bottomless pit. Dao Ting Si may not even be willing to part with them."

"Better to use a known, safe reason to request a batch—get whatever you can. Less isn't a loss; more is a bonus."

"As for the bulk of the spirit stones, we'll need another solution."

Mo Hua asked curiously, "What other solution is there?"

Zhou Zhangsi smoothed his beard, smiling faintly. "Guess."

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then carefully said:

"The Qian family?"

Zhou Zhangsi nodded. "Correct. The Qian family is wealthy, and due to their ancestral elder's ties, most of their wealth isn't clean."

"Are we going to confiscate the Qian family's assets?"

Zhou Zhangsi shook his head. "Not yet. The situation is urgent. If the Qian family donates their property, we can overlook their ancestral elder's crimes: building Great Heishan Shanzhai and colluding with demonic cultivators."

Zhou Zhangsi said coldly, "Ultimately, the Fexi incident must be blamed on the Qian family's ancestral elder. If he hadn't used humans to brew pills, turning this boar demon into a cauldron, such a great Dao calamity would never have occurred."

"Now we're giving the Qian family a chance to redeem themselves. I hope they don't fail to grasp the opportunity…"

Mo Hua nodded, then added:

"I'll go see Young Master An next—see if he's willing to donate some."

The An family was the second-largest clan in Tong Xiancheng and possessed many spirit stones.

Zhou Zhangsi hesitated. "The An family runs honest businesses. Asking them to donate their assets—Young Master An may not agree."

"How can you know unless you try?" Mo Hua said. "What if Young Master An is broad-minded and generous?"

Zhou Zhangsi twitched his lips, clearly skeptical, but still said:

"Go ahead and try."

Mo Hua went to see Young Master An, skipping all pretense, and said bluntly:

"Young Master, we're building a great array. Would you consider donating some spirit stones?"

Young Master An's expression revealed no emotion. He replied coolly:

"What if I don't want to donate?"

Mo Hua said casually, "I'm just asking. If you don't, that's fine. We're familiar enough—I won't pressure you."

Young Master An studied Mo Hua's expression and saw no hostility. He sighed slightly, realizing he'd overthought things.

He had thought Mo Hua had come with a polite front and hidden threats.

Building a great array required spirit stones. The An family had spirit stones. That made the situation delicate.

If anything went wrong, the An family would become a natural spirit stone warehouse.

Having lived so long, Young Master An knew human relationships were shallow and fragile—interests were cruel but enduring.

The An family had some rapport with Mo Hua, but no rapport, however strong, could outweigh spirit stones. Besides, their rapport with Mo Hua wasn't particularly deep.

Young Master An's expression grew solemn.

He knew Mo Hua had final say over the great array project.

He still couldn't fathom how Mo Hua had convinced Elder Yu, Zhou Zhangsi of Dao Ting Si, and Commander Yang of Dao Bing Si.

This was a great array—how could it possibly be so easy?

Yet Mo Hua had done it.

Mo Hua's status was unique, his connections vast. Though young in appearance, many affairs in Tong Xiancheng were effectively led by him.

Especially now—nearly all the major forces in Tong Xiancheng stood behind him.

If he wished to make things difficult for the An family, they would find every step agonizing.

If he demanded the An family donate spirit stones, they would have to comply. Refusal would bring no good end.

If Mo Hua chose not to pressure the An family, neither Dao Ting Si, nor Dao Bing Si, nor even the demon hunters would apply pressure on them.

Judging by his demeanor now, Mo Hua didn't seem to intend to trouble the An family…

Young Master An exhaled quietly, then felt a new doubt arise:

"You really don't want me to donate?"

Mo Hua corrected him properly: "I definitely want you to donate, but whether you're willing or not still depends on you."

Old Master An nodded, then after a moment, suddenly tried again:

"What if I wanted to donate?"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up. He calculated the pitch he had long prepared and began "painting a big cake" for Old Master An.