Chapter 572: The Seed-Bearing Ring

Longdao Mountain Range... Fifth-rank Qianxue Province border...

"A place of learning..."

Mo Hua blinked in surprise.

With sects clustered together and prodigies gathering, gathering the pinnacle of formation arts—does this mean it possesses a complete foundation of Dao cultivation, and a full spectrum of formation lineages?

Mo Hua had only learned the Five Elements formations.

But beyond the Five Elements, formations had many other categories, each with its own distinct system.

For example, Yin-Yang, Three Talents, Four Symbols, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams.

Mo Hua had only seen fleeting mentions of these formation systems in formation texts—vague, incomplete, let alone any actual, concrete lineage.

Mo Hua fell into thought.

His master should know these formations—Yin-Yang, Four Symbols, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams—but he never taught them to him, only the Five Elements.

Probably because the Five Elements formations were the most fundamental and most widely applied.

Greed leads to indigestion; master the Five Elements first, build a solid foundation, then learn other systems—once you understand one, the rest will come more easily.

But the greatest reason, probably, was...

His master... knew his time was running short; there was so much he wanted to teach, but there was no time left...

"Master..."

Mo Hua's gaze dimmed slightly.

After a moment, he shook off the gloom and resumed studying the Qian Province map.

The map marked many sects.

In the Qianxue Province border, the most numerous were "Dao-Cultivation Sects."

The so-called "Dao-Cultivation Sects" differed from industrial sects, secluded sects, and spirit-commerce sects.

Secluded sects withdrew from the world, cut off from outsiders, relatively closed.

Industrial sects and spirit-commerce sects existed primarily for profit—earning spirit stones through managing Dao cultivation industries or shops dealing in formations, pills, artifacts, and talismans.

They did accept disciples, but it was not their main purpose.

Dao-Cultivation Sects, however, had as their founding purpose the transmission of Dao and instruction—mainly teaching cultivators and imparting Dao methods, relying on disciples' spirit stone tuition as their primary source of income.

Dao-Cultivation Sects did have some industries, but few.

Mo Hua had learned these things during his travels, from others' chatter.

Only then did he realize there were significant differences between sects.

Some taught Dao and transmitted methods; others cared only for profit.

Dao-Cultivation Sects...

"Teaching cultivation, transmitting methods..."

Mo Hua couldn't help thinking: "Could I go there?"

He thought again, then shook his head.

Qianxue Province was a fifth-rank province—its Dao-Cultivation Sects must charge exorbitant tuition...

The windfall he'd gained—would it even cover the tuition?

Even if he could afford it, would they accept him?

Prodigies gather there...

These sects must have strict admission standards.

Mo Hua flipped through the map again and found it sparse with text—no other annotations, no further details.

"Ask someone?"

Mo Hua frowned, pondered long, and decided the most suitable person was Zhou Zhangsi.

Zhang Lan would know, but he'd already returned home.

Zhou Zhangsi came from a family too—though small, it must have had experience and insight, or he could never have held the position of Dao Ting Si's Zhangsi.

Mo Hua went to Dao Ting Si and handed the map to Zhou Zhangsi.

"Qianxue Province?"

Zhou Zhangsi looked up, surprised.

"Yes." Mo Hua nodded.

Zhou Zhangsi thought for a moment. "Wait a moment..."

He pulled several books from his storage pouch. Mo Hua glanced—they bore titles like Records of Dao Cultivation History, Survey of the Nine Provinces.

"Qian Province is vast, too distant from here—I've forgotten some details..."

Zhou Zhangsi flipped through the books, studied them carefully, then nodded.

"Yes..."

"Qianxue Province is indeed the foremost place of learning in the Nine Provinces—sects abound, and scholarly atmosphere thrives..."

"In the Nine Provinces, any genius cultivator who establishes their Foundation before age twenty usually goes to Qianxue Province to choose a sect—seeking renowned masters, forging bonds with prodigies from all provinces, cultivating and studying Dao methods, laying the foundation for their future path..."

"Why do they all go to Qianxue Province?"

Mo Hua didn't quite understand. "Because it's a fifth-rank province?"

"Not entirely," Zhou Zhangsi said, looking at Mo Hua with patience. "Though Dao cultivation is divided into nine ranks, that's an ancient classification—nine is the ultimate number of heaven and earth, reaching Immortal grade."

"Since the establishment of the Dao Court, spiritual energy has steadily dwindled—no one has become an Immortal in ages."

"Forget nine ranks—even seventh or eighth rank is unattainable for most cultivators."

"Fifth-rank provinces are already beyond reach for ordinary cultivators..."

"But Qianxue Province is the greatest learning ground not merely because it's fifth-rank..."

Zhou Zhangsi paused, then said:

"Cultivators pursue the Dao, adhering to 'Wealth, Law, Companions, and Ground'…"

"Wealth refers to cultivation resources—spirit stones, spirit objects, and other assets;"

"Law refers to cultivation methods—cultivation arts, spells, martial Dao techniques, and various secret arts not passed outside the sect, as well as the methods of the hundred Dao crafts: arrays, pills, talismans, and artifacts;"

"Companions refer to fellow cultivators who share the same aspirations, with aligned hearts and firm Dao wills, exchanging insights, reflecting upon each other, and jointly advancing their cultivation;"

"Ground refers to famous mountains and great rivers, the very foundation of Daoist sects…"

"Wealth, Law, Companions, and Ground—all are fully present in Qianxue State, which boasts nearly ten thousand years of Daoist history, countless sects, and a tradition of establishing schools with complete lineages. That is why it is the greatest cultivation state among the Nine Continents!"

Mo Hua listened, feeling wistful, his heart yearning—he could not help asking:

"Zhangsi, are the sects of Qianxue State harsh in accepting disciples?"

"Naturally…" Zhou Zhangsi nodded, "To reach Foundation Establishment before twenty is merely the baseline…"

"Beyond that, you must also consider what kind of Foundation you establish."

"Among great clans and sect disciples, they polish their realm, accumulate their cultivation, and refine their Spirit Qi Circulation to its peak before establishing Foundation at seventeen or eighteen."

"Only such a Foundation counts as true Foundation Establishment."

"Ordinary cultivators from small factions, greedy for quick progress, with unconsolidated blood qi and thin Spirit Qi, hastily establish Foundation at fifteen or sixteen. Such a Foundation is not counted…"

Zhou Zhangsi fell silent, glancing at Mo Hua—fifteen years old, with weak blood qi and thin Spirit Qi—and said apologetically:

"I'm not talking about you…"

"It's fine, it's fine."

Mo Hua was generous and did not mind.

His weak blood qi and low Spirit Qi were facts, obvious at a glance—no need to hide them.

Moreover, he had cultivated through Spiritual Awareness, forging a Spiritual Awareness Foundation—blood qi and Spirit Qi mattered little.

Seeing Mo Hua was unconcerned, Zhou Zhangsi exhaled in relief and continued:

"This is only Foundation Establishment; other requirements are equally strict…"

"First, the Spirit Root. In Qianxue State, ordinary sects accept only those with top-grade Spirit Roots…"

"Some powerful, ancient sects ranked among the top ten accept only disciples with supreme-grade Spirit Roots…"

Mo Hua opened his mouth, "Only supreme-grade accepted… is it really that strict?"

Zhou Zhangsi nodded, also feeling helpless, "The Spirit Root is the foundation of a cultivator. The better the Spirit Root, the higher the rank of cultivation arts one can practice, the deeper one's Spirit Qi, the easier one's breakthroughs, and the farther one can walk the Dao path…"

"But even so, among top-grade Spirit Roots, supreme-grade and top-middle-grade differ by only a hair's breadth—the gap isn't that vast."

"Those sects demand only supreme-grade simply because there are too many prodigies and competition is too fierce."

"This threshold has been raised again and again…"

"Thousands of years ago, even mid-grade Spirit Roots, if one had a firm Dao will and special talents, could still join these sects—and even become instructors or elders."

"But now…"

Zhou Zhangsi sighed, "Top-grade means no poor families, let alone lone cultivators—poor Spirit Root, and you can't even get through the gate…"

"That's why cultivators often say: in this age, one's fate is sealed the moment they are born with their Spirit Root…"

"This is only the Spirit Root…"

Zhou Zhangsi added, "There is also family background, origin, and lineage."

"Without a distinguished origin or noble family, gaining entry becomes even harder."

"Some sects even investigate the parents of applicants—their Spirit Roots, cultivation levels, and social status…"

Mo Hua found this absurd, sighed deeply, and felt disheartened.

It seemed he could never go to Qianxue State.

Setting that aside, the mid- and low-grade Five-Element spiritual roots alone make the entry requirements brutally strict.

Mo Hua's expression grew dim.

Zhou Zhangsi looked at Mo Hua, feeling pity, and said:

"There are some smaller sects with less stringent Spirit Root requirements, but…"

But their lineages are inevitably shallow.

Even if admitted, you may learn nothing of value.

Zhou Zhangsi sighed faintly.

Lone cultivators have such weak foundations—establishing Foundation is already their ceiling.

He still hoped Mo Hua could join a sect in Qianxue State, systematically learn Daoist knowledge, broaden his horizons, and fill his weaknesses to walk farther on the Dao path…

But he knew that place, crowded with great clans and teeming with prodigies, held deep prejudices.

Even crossing the threshold was extremely difficult.

Especially for a lone cultivator like Mo Hua…

Zhou Zhangsi said no more, offering only a few words of comfort and small talk—he truly could not help further…

Mo Hua felt disappointed, but after thinking it over, he did not dwell on it.

If he had the chance to go to Qianxue State and join a sect to learn the Dao, that would be good.

But if no such opportunity came, it did not matter.

Affairs of the world cannot be forced.

Mo Hua returned home, read a little, studied arrays for a while, exhausted his Spiritual Awareness, grew tired, and unfolded the map of Qianxue State again.

After viewing it several times, Mo Hua put it away.

Since his Spirit Root was insufficient for entry, seeing it more would not help—he tucked the map into his Storage Bag.

Then he thought a moment, deciding the map of the Nine Continents was still valuable and might be useful later—he took it from the Storage Bag and placed it back inside his Nàzǐ Ring.

The Nanzi Ring was small, but Mo Hua's hands were tiny, so he could only wear it on his left thumb.

This ring was a gift from his master, blood-pledged and bound to him; its design was ancient, plain and unremarkable.

Mo Hua could see it, but no one else could.

This Nanzi Ring was a concealed storage pouch.

But Mo Hua also felt this ring could conceal his own aura, making it impossible for others to discern his true nature.

It resembled the spiritual artifacts worn by his senior and junior brothers that blocked spiritual sense probes.

Beyond that, it had no other function.

But because it was a gift from his master, Mo Hua cherished it deeply.

Mo Hua placed the Qian Province map into the Nanzi Ring, then checked the other items inside—suddenly, he froze.

Inside the Nanzi Ring, there was a new jade slip.

Mo Hua had no memory of this jade slip.

He had never seen it before when placing items into the Nanzi Ring.

"Why is there an extra jade slip?"

Mo Hua frowned, took out the jade slip, and saw it was dull gray, ancient in appearance, as if aged many years.

With a sweep of his spiritual sense, he saw three large characters carved upon it:

"Qiandao Sect."

Beneath them, a smaller line of text:

"Those holding this token must not refuse entry."

The tone was that of an imperial decree…

Meaning: anyone holding this token, seeking to join the sect, cannot be turned away?

Mo Hua frowned.

"Qiandao Sect…"

The name felt familiar…

Mo Hua pulled out the Qian Province map again, scanned it briefly, and discovered that within Qianxue Province, there indeed existed a sect named "Qiandao Sect."

And it was, prominently listed, one of the Four Major Sects of Qianxue Province!

Mo Hua was stunned.

This was…

The Qiandao Sect's entry token?!

"How did this jade token end up in the Nanzi Ring? Is this… a gift left for me by my master?"

Mo Hua was dazed.

The Nanzi Ring was given to him by his master, known only to him.

No one else could open it.

If something was inside, it could only have been left by his master…

"The Qiandao Sect's entry token…"

Mo Hua pondered, and understood his master's intent.

His master gave him the token, marked with a sect's name.

If he had the opportunity, learned what sect it was and where it lay, he could use the token to seek entry himself.

But if he knew nothing of it, then he had no destiny.

The jade token made no difference—whether he had it or not.

"This… is my master's backup path for me…"

Mo Hua was stunned.

Though he had studied Heavenly Mechanism Divination and secretly learned Heavenly Mechanism Deception, and possessed the Five Elements Array Flow Diagram, his foundation was weak, his array methods esoteric, limited only to the Five Elements.

He needed to join a sect to learn more complete Dao cultivation knowledge.

To comprehend arrays beyond the Five Elements, other systems entirely.

To pursue higher, more distant cultivation realms…

All of this… my master had foreseen…

Mo Hua's eyes stung.

He opened the Qian Province map again, locating the destination of the entry token.

"Fifth-rank Qianxue Province, Qiandao Sect…"

Mo Hua understood clearly.

If he relied solely on solitary cultivation and self-reflection, his progress would be painfully slow.

His array mastery would never reach profound heights.

And after Foundation Establishment, how exactly should one cultivate, how to solidify the Dao foundation, elevate cultivation, break through to Jin Dan, and beyond Jin Dan, how to achieve Liu Yuhua…

These profound cultivation realms, he knew nothing of.

Cultivation level is the foundation of a cultivator.

Without sufficient cultivation, he would forever remain a Foundation Establishment cultivator, forever a rank-one, at most rank-two arrayist.

He would never learn the extremely profound arrays that seize the creative forces of heaven and earth, reverse cause and effect, defy life and death…

And forever… could not save his master…

Could never repay the debt of his master's kindness.

Yet Mo Hua felt torn inside.

He knew he would eventually leave Xiancheng.

"But what about Father and Mother…?"

Mo Hua furrowed his brow and sighed deeply.

If he left, what would become of Father and Mother?

In the days that followed, Mo Hua grew listless and gloomy.

Liu Ruhua noticed Mo Hua's expression; after dinner one day, as she finished clearing the table, she asked:

"Hua'er, are you hiding something?"

Mo Hua froze, hesitated a moment, then shook his head.

"Mother, it's nothing…"

Liu Ruhua shook her head and gazed at Mo Hua with gentle eyes.

No one knows a child better than the mother.

Mo Hua was her child; no matter how brilliant, no matter how skillfully he painted arrays, some inner troubles could never hide from her, his mother.

Looking into Liu Ruhua's watery gaze, Mo Hua hesitated a moment, then told her about the Qiandao Sect.

"Qian Province…?"

Liu Ruhua murmured, "Are Zi Sheng and Bai Zixi also in Qian Province?"

"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "But Qian Province is vast, far apart—we might not even meet them."

"Is that so…?"

Liu Ruhua felt a pang of regret, thought for a moment, then her gaze hardened: "Then go."

Mo Hua stared, "But Mother…"

Liu Ruhua shook her head. "A parent who loves their child plans for their long-term future…"

"You've already reached Foundation Establishment. Staying in Xiancheng makes me happy, but I know your future will be limited."

"If you were a hundred or two hundred years old, I wouldn't say a word."

"But you're only fifteen—you can't be trapped here for your whole life."

"I hate to let you go, but I don't want to see your talent wasted."

"Besides, there's Mr. Zhuang…"

Liu Ruhua sighed. "You didn't explain clearly, but I know Mr. Zhuang must have encountered some calamity—he may be dead or alive. Otherwise, you wouldn't have returned alone."

"Mr. Zhuang has done great good for you, no—for our whole family."

"A drop of kindness deserves a gushing spring in return."

"I don't know Mr. Zhuang's realm, but it must be high. At your current realm, you can't help him."

"But you must never forget this debt."

"Even if you can't repay him now, keep it in your heart. When your cultivation rises, go repay Mr. Zhuang's kindness. Even if you're powerless, you must do your utmost!"

Liu Ruhua's gentle expression carried firm resolve.

"Yes, Mother!"

Mo Hua nodded solemnly.

"But what about Father…?"

Mo Hua felt further hesitation.

"Your father needs no worry from you…"

Liu Ruhua stroked Mo Hua's head and said gently:

"Your father is a Demon Hunter. He earns spirit stones by hunting beasts—since you were young, he spent years climbing mountains, fighting monsters, covered in scars, to raise you."

"Long ago, he quietly bore the burden of this household…"

"Though his cultivation is only Qi Condensation, there's no need for you to worry about him."

"His greatest regret is that he couldn't give you the best—neither the cultivation techniques nor the array arts could he help you with."

"If you truly have the will to seek the Dao and study, he won't say anything aloud, but inside, he'll be proud of you…"

Liu Ruhua looked at Mo Hua and smiled softly again:

"You've reached Foundation Establishment, but you're still only fifteen—you're not the one who should be worrying about your parents."

"Just do what you want to do."

"Don't hesitate—press forward without looking back…"

"But one thing…"

Liu Ruhua warned: "Hua'er, remember—for your father and me, your life is the most precious thing."

"No matter what, you must stay alive."

"Yes!" Mo Hua, moved, nodded. "Mother, don't worry—no one can kill me!"

His eyes suddenly flashed—innocence and the Way of the Strange fused; one eye revealed the patterns of fate, the other birthed strangeness; within his destiny, a terrifying crimson Corpse King lay dormant.

Far away, in Nanyue City, ore cultivators burned incense, their devotion strengthening him, fate shielding him.

Liu Ruhua froze.

She always felt Mo Hua had changed just now—but when she looked closely, he seemed unchanged.

He was still her beloved child.

Liu Ruhua laughed softly and pinched Mo Hua's soft cheek.

"Talking big again…"

Mo Hua squinted, smiling happily.

With both parents' approval, he no longer needed to agonize.

He had made his decision: he would go to the Fifth-Rank Qianxue Continent, join a sect, practice Yiqi Xiuxian, and seek the Dao by mastering the world's array techniques!

Forge a Jin Dan, ascend to Liu Yuhua.

Step by step in the future, he would reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao.

Learn array techniques no one else can learn, save a master no one else can save!

Yet everything requires foresight.

Before heading to Qianzhou, he would spend time planning, preparing thoroughly, and devising his strategy…

Don't rush the foreshadowing—plot points must unfold step by step, clues must be gathered step by step~

(End of Chapter)