The little cat demon had accompanied Mo Hua in practicing his skills, and Mo Hua considered it a repayment for saving its life, thus clearing their debts.
Mo Hua had now achieved some proficiency in his skills and was planning to find Bai Zisheng for another spar when he suddenly noticed several demon hunters wearing vine armor on the street, which startled him.
Vine armor?
Mo Hua's heart sank.
Oh no, I forgot!
He still hadn't finished the Iron Armor Formation promised to Elder Yu...
Previously, he had managed to draw a few pieces each day, expecting to complete them within a month. However, since Zhang Lan had taught him the Flowing Water Steps, all his attention had been focused on mastering this new technique.
First, he dodged wild fruits falling from trees, then sparred with Bai Zisheng, and later, he even found a small cat demon to train.
Now, over a month had passed. While his Flowing Water Steps had become proficient, he had only managed to draw around thirty pieces of the Iron Armor Formation...
Mo Hua hurried home, took out the vine armor, ground the spiritual ink, and hastily began drawing.
For the next few days, Mo Hua locked himself in his room, completely focused on drawing the Iron Armor Formation.
Sunlight streamed through the window as Mo Hua leaned over his small desk, brush swiftly flying across the vine armor. With every stroke, intricate patterns emerged, interweaving to form a mysterious formation.
When his mental energy was depleted, Mo Hua used meditation techniques to replenish it.
Once his mental energy was restored, he resumed drawing.
Five days later, he finally completed all one hundred pieces of the Iron Armor Formation.
Mo Hua handed over the drawn vine armor to his father, Mo Shan, instructing him to deliver it to Elder Yu.
Mo Hua didn't have a close relationship with Elder Yu and had no idea how to find him, especially since Elder Yu, as the only Foundation Establishment cultivator among demon hunters, was always busy and not easily accessible.
What was originally planned to be completed in a month had now taken more than half a month longer. Hopefully, Elder Yu wouldn't mind...
Mo Hua silently hoped.
Mo Shan went to visit Elder Yu but found him deeply engaged in discussions in his study. Not wanting to disturb him, Mo Shan handed the storage bag to Elder Yu's eldest son, Yu Chengyi, asking him to pass it on.
Yu Chengyi was at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, one of the outstanding figures among demon hunters in Tongxian City. Although his cultivation level was second only to his father's Foundation Establishment stage, he commanded great respect among demon hunters.
However, the one person Yu Chengyi feared was his father.
Accepting the storage bag, Yu Chengyi went to find Elder Yu. Elder Yu was still in discussion with several elderly demon hunters, visibly in a bad mood:
"That old bastard Qian Hong, why hasn't he been struck by lightning yet? He's always gloomy, constantly scheming against me. If I'm near death one day, I'll make sure to take him down with me. Even if I die, I'll make him pay!"
"Qian Hong, the patriarch of the Qian family, is nothing but a coward. He never does any good and is just as treacherous as that old bastard..."
"That beast who devours people without spitting out bones, always finding ways to suppress us—reduce a bit of spiritual stones here, take away a few spiritual artifacts there, damn it..."
"If this continues, none of us will have good days. I doubt the Qian family will prosper much longer..."
Elder Yu angrily ranted on about the Qian family.
Demon hunters relied on hunting demons for their livelihood, and the materials obtained were sold to the Qian family. However, the Qian family, having started from these dealings, often exploited demon hunters to gain more spiritual stone profits.
Elder Yu supported the demon hunting business and naturally clashed with the Qian family.
Already of a bad temperament, Elder Yu had endured many hardships over the years, making him resolute and stubborn. He was often targeted by the Qian family, both openly and covertly. This made Elder Yu easily provoked, frequently bursting into furious tirades against the Qian family in his study.
Although the study was meant for discussions, for more than half of the year, it was primarily used for cursing the Qian family.
Yu Chengyi was used to this and didn't find it strange.
However, the Qian family was indeed despicable.
He didn't have his father's cultivation level or firmness. Otherwise, he would have joined in the cursing as well.
Elder Yu scolded for quite a while before finally stopping. He then discussed a few matters with the senior demon hunters, and everyone dispersed.
After the meeting dispersed, Elder Yu's residual anger had not completely dissipated, so he poured himself a cup of tea and drank it slowly.
Yu Chengyi quietly entered, "Father."
Elder Yu raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"
"Just now, Brother Mo Shan came by and asked me to give you this storage bag."
Yu Chengyi handed over the bag.
"Mo Shan?"
Elder Yu furrowed his brows for a moment, then relaxed and said, "Let me see."
With a slightly expectant look, Elder Yu opened the storage bag and indeed found a complete set of vine armor, each piece adorned with formations.
Elder Yu couldn't help but be overjoyed.
Yu Chengyi looked on in surprise. Although his father often wore his emotions on his sleeve, it was usually anger or a stern expression. Seeing him so pleased was rare.
"Father, what's in this storage bag?" Yu Chengyi couldn't help asking.
"Vine armor," Elder Yu replied casually.
"Vine armor?"
"Yes, vine armor with the Iron Armor Formation drawn on it."
"Is it for Ah Da and Ah Er?" Yu Chengyi asked.
Ah Da and Ah Er were his sons, and Elder Yu was strict with him, but he cherished his grandsons.
"Yes, and more," Elder Yu sighed, "You demon hunters are tough and resilient. A few bites from demons won't do much harm..."
Getting bitten by demons will definitely cause harm...
Yu Chengyi thought silently to himself, knowing that even cultivators couldn't withstand bites from demons. However, he dared not argue and could only listen quietly.
"...But the newly minted demon hunters are different. They may have learned Daoist arts, but they're still children. If something happens to them, I'd feel terrible. The future of demon hunting depends on them..." Elder Yu said.
Yu Chengyi nodded silently, unable to resist asking, "Father, who did you commission to draw these formations?"
"He's still young, not sure if you'd call him a formation master."
Elder Yu remembered the adorable and talented appearance of Mo Hua, feeling even more pleased, "It's Mo Shan's son, Mo Hua."
"Mo Hua..." Yu Chengyi nodded. He had heard from familiar demon hunters that Mo Shan had a son with considerable talent in formations.
However, he had another question, "How much did you pay him per piece?"
"Considering his young age... just three spirit stones..."
Elder Yu blushed at his audacity, "Well... just three..."
"Father, isn't this a bit too little?" Yu Chengyi hesitated.
Elder Yu immediately frowned, "What's inappropriate about it? In the lower levels, we should support each other. Mo Hua is a good kid, more mature than you."
Yu Chengyi remained silent.
After a moment's thought, Elder Yu sighed, "You're right. Anyway, I've taken advantage of him. If his family needs anything in the future, I'll lend a hand."
Yu Chengyi was secretly amazed. It was rare to see his father show such favor. From childhood to adulthood, he had rarely seen anyone receive such generosity.
"The Iron Armor Formation isn't simple, right? Can Mo Hua really draw it?" Yu Chengyi asked again.
"How can he not? Look at this."
Elder Yu patted the vine armor in his hand. The faint golden formation patterns were meticulous and elegant, exuding a subtle aura of mystery.
Yu Chengyi's eyes brightened, "Father, you're right. These formations are really well done!"
"Of course! I personally commissioned them!" Elder Yu said proudly.
"How many did you ask him to draw?"
"One hundred."
"One hundred?" Yu Chengyi was astonished, "So many! Did he finish them all?"
"How is that possible? He's just a child. How could he draw so fast?"
Elder Yu hadn't expected Mo Hua to finish all at once. Even if he could draw seventy or eighty, that would be impressive. After all, Mo Hua was still young and his cultivation level was low. His spiritual energy probably couldn't handle so many formations.
"In there...,"
Elder Yu scanned through, somewhat leisurely, counted, "Thirty... Thirty Five... Forty..."
Still more?
Elder Yu's expression froze, and he counted again, "Forty... Seventy... Ninety... One hundred!"
One hundred?!
Elder Yu silently took a breath, hardly believing it, "All finished?!"
(End of the Chapter)