Mo Hua was still comprehending the First-Grade Melting Fire Spiritual Control Compound Array, though his progress was somewhat slow.
Sometimes, when he felt tired from studying, he would go to inspect the large refining furnaces. He would compare them with the array diagrams he had designed, simulating the problems he might encounter when drawing the array formations. This helped clarify Mo Hua's thoughts.
As Mo Hua gazed at the furnace, fully absorbed in thoughts of array formations, he suddenly noticed Elder Yu standing beside him.
It seemed Elder Yu had been watching him while Mo Hua was engrossed in observing the furnace, though Mo Hua wasn't sure for how long.
Elder Yu kindly asked as Mo Hua snapped back to reality, "How's your study of the array formations going?"
"I've learned about half of it, but it may take some more time to fully understand," Mo Hua replied.
Elder Yu nodded. "Remember to balance work and rest. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Thank you, Elder Yu," Mo Hua smiled, then asked, "Aren't you in a hurry? The sooner I finish the array formations, the sooner the refining workshop can start operating, and everyone can earn more spiritual stones."
"At this point, the Qian Family won't just let it go. If the refining workshop starts too late, we might be at a disadvantage," Mo Hua added.
Elder Yu remained composed. "I've been in a hurry for over a hundred years already. A few more days don't matter to me."
Mo Hua didn't quite understand.
Elder Yu brushed some dust off the ground, then sat down next to Mo Hua and said, "Since I began cultivating Qi, I've never had good days. The same goes for the wandering practitioners around me—they toil every day but can't earn many spiritual stones. I often wondered, where do all these spiritual stones go?"
"It wasn't until I saw the Qian Family— their mansion, their luxuries, their refining and alchemy workshops..."
"In the Qian Family's refining workshop, it's the wandering practitioners who forge and temper, who work hard every day. Meanwhile, their cultivators just sit by, drink tea, and give orders without doing much else."
"I often wondered, why do we wandering practitioners, who endure hardships, have to settle for scraps while the Qian Family, a group of layabouts, enjoys all the comforts without much effort."
Elder Yu sighed. "Later, when I reached Foundation Building and began dealing with the Qian Family, openly or covertly, relying on thick skin and sharp words, only then did I avoid too many losses and gradually understand some truths..."
"I also wanted to improve the lives of wandering practitioners, and I considered opening a few refining and alchemy workshops. But without spiritual stones and lacking knowledge of array formations, making any progress was incredibly difficult."
"I've lived through these days for over a hundred years, enduring and worrying for over a hundred years. Now that such a large refining workshop has been built and the alchemy workshop is halfway done, I'm no longer in a hurry."
"The work done in these past few months surpasses what I've done in over a hundred years. What else is there for me to rush about?"
Elder Yu looked content.
Mo Hua gazed at Elder Yu Changlin, with his white hair and frail figure, yet his eyes were sharp and resolute, feeling a deep sense of respect.
"But what if, even after the refining workshop is built, we still can't compete with the Qian Family?" Mo Hua expressed his concern.
"Then we'll sell it," Elder Yu replied decisively.
"Sell it?" Mo Hua was taken aback.
"Yes," Elder Yu nodded. "It's best if we can compete with the Qian Family. But if we can't, we'll sell both the refining and alchemy workshops together. We can earn a substantial amount of spiritual stones from the sale, which will be a considerable sum for everyone. In the end, we won't lose out."
"Will it be easy to sell?" Mo Hua asked uncertainly.
Elder Yu raised an eyebrow. "With such large refining and alchemy workshops, how could they not sell well? Others might want to build them, but they wouldn't necessarily have the time and capability to complete them."
Elder Yu gestured to the array formations inside and outside. "And these formations you've drawn—can an average array master create them? Even if they could, how many array masters would they need to hire, and how much time would it take?"
"Don't worry," Elder Yu patted Mo Hua's shoulder. "With the formations you've drawn, both of these refining and alchemy workshops will fetch a sky-high price!"
"A sky-high price?"
Elder Yu nodded. "If it's not a sky-high price, I won't sell. Negotiating prices is something I'm quite good at."
Mo Hua looked at Elder Yu, seeing him transform from a "cultivation industrialist" into a "cultivation real estate mogul" in the blink of an eye.
"Who would buy them?" Mo Hua asked quietly.
"There are plenty of potential buyers," Elder Yu said. "It would be best to sell to the An Family. That way, the An Family and the Qian Family will compete, and our demon hunters can benefit from the spectacle. Alternatively, sell to other clans in nearby Immortal Cities to pit them against the Qian Family. If all else fails, we can sell to the Qian Family themselves."
"The Qian Family?" Mo Hua exclaimed.
"In this bustling world, everything revolves around profit. As long as they can afford the spiritual stones, selling to them isn't out of the question. I've dealt with the Qian Family in transactions before..."
Mo Hua silently thought, *Taking hostages from the Qian Family and leveraging them probably doesn't count as a transaction...*
"Ideally, these are all contingency plans. There's always the risk of nurturing a tiger. The best scenario is still for us to manage it ourselves, ensuring that wandering practitioners from all around can earn a sustainable livelihood."
Mo Hua nodded in understanding and asked, "Elder Yu, did you plan all of this from the beginning?"
"Naturally," Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua and patiently explained, "With something as significant as this, betting everything in one go is reckless. One must plan thoroughly, prepare countermeasures, so that moving forward has structure and there's a way out if things go awry. Especially, always leave yourself an escape route."
Mo Hua benefited greatly from this advice and affirmed, "I'll remember that!"
Elder Yu looked at Mo Hua with satisfaction, then took a deep breath and stood up. "Alright then, get back to your work. I won't disturb you anymore."
"Okay, Elder, take care."
After Elder Yu left, Mo Hua continued pondering over the array formations.
Mo Hua was still eager to master the formations quickly so that the refining furnace could be completed sooner, and the refining workshop could start operating.
However, learning array formations was a gradual process—one step at a time, like drops of water wearing away stone. Mo Hua couldn't rush it.
About half a month passed this way before Mo Hua finally grasped the core of the Melting Fire Spiritual Control Compound Array. He then spent several days practicing, adding the First-Grade Melting Fire Array and other formations within its framework.
Afterwards, he spent some time rechecking the compatibility of the compound array with the refining furnace's structure.
When Mo Hua felt thoroughly prepared and everything was in place, he began drawing the Melting Fire Spiritual Control Compound Array on the large First-Grade refining furnace.
Elder Yu watched from the side.
Before Mo Hua started drawing, he was calm and composed. Now that he began to wield the brush, he unexpectedly felt nervous.
Perhaps it was because this was a long-cherished dream that was about to come true...
Elder Yu sighed inwardly.
The large refining furnace in the courtyard had already been disassembled, its scattered parts neatly arranged on the ground. The massive furnace stood open in the middle of the courtyard.
Mo Hua's first step was to outline the core of the compound array. Then, on this core, he would first draw the First-Grade Melting Fire Array and infuse it with spiritual energy to see if the formation would activate.
If it didn't, it meant there was an issue with the core, requiring rechecking, error correction, and redrawing.
If the formation activated successfully, it meant the core was fine. Mo Hua would then proceed according to his plan, adding another set of First-Grade Melting Fire Arrays and other related formations.
Mo Hua prepared the spiritual ink, positioned the large-haired array brush, concentrated his breath, and began to draw the array formations in earnest.
The brush, soaked in spiritual ink, descended onto the inner wall of the refining furnace, flowing smoothly to outline the first array pattern.
First-Grade Melting Fire Spiritual Control Compound Array.
This was a formation that surpassed the capabilities of an ordinary First-Grade array master, and it was the most challenging array Mo Hua had ever drawn!
(End of the Chapter)