Chapter 1: Ink Painting

In the Dao Calendar year 20,022, on the ninth month, tenth day.

In Tongxian City, outside Tongxian Gate, on the mountain.

The ten-year-old Mo Hua, wearing simple outer sect disciple robes, squatted idly behind a large rock at the foot of the mountain, holding a grass root in hand, head down drawing complex patterns on the ground.

When it reached the Mao hour, the disciples seeking to learn in the sect went up the mountain one after another, in groups of two or three, chatting and laughing.

A chubby boy, wearing outer sect standard robes, adorned with expensive jade ornaments, with a fat face and small eyes, accompanied by two or three followers, found Mo Hua who was happily drawing something behind the rock.

The chubby boy looked left and right, seeing no sect instructors around, then cautiously shouted:

"Mo Hua!"

Mo Hua lifted his head, revealing a handsome face like a painting, eyes clear as if holding a pool of water.

The chubby boy lowered his voice and said: "Is it done?"

The ten-year-old Mo Hua patted his chest like a little adult, "I handle things, you can rest assured," then from the storage bag behind him, took out several array diagrams, white paper with red ink, and handed them to the chubby boy.

"You look and see if there's anything not proper."

The chubby boy solemnly took them, opened the copy, seriously looked at it once, then said with a bitter face:

"I don't understand..."

Mo Hua patiently explained:

"The instructor assigned homework is the basic array patterns of the Five Elements Array. I helped you draw them well, and specially made six mistakes, to prevent the instructor from seeing that these array patterns are not drawn by you yourself..."

"Six places... is it a bit too many mistakes..."

Mo Hua silently looked at him.

The chubby boy immediately realized his mistake, reflected and said:

"As a person, cannot be too greedy. I can hand in the instructor's assigned homework is already good. If done too well, instead invite suspicion. Once discovered by the instructor, let my father know, he will definitely beat me hard. Not worth it, not worth it..."

Mo Hua nodded and said: "Not bad for Young Master An, you thought it through so quickly!"

The chubby boy stuffed two spirit stones into Mo Hua's hand, "Brother Mo, still you have good eyesight, know I am smart! Spirit stones for you. Next time the instructor assigns array homework I will still find you!"

After saying that, he stuffed the array into his embrace, and ran up the mountain in a flash.

Mo Hua carefully put away the two spirit stones, pulled another section of grass root, and continued drawing on the ground.

A moment later, another slim young master came, waving a gold-sprinkled paper fan, with a mean face, wearing even more jade pendants.

Mo Hua also gave him an array diagram. The slim young master glanced at the array diagram, then gave a signal to his servant. The servant stepped forward to take it, and handed two spirit stones to Mo Hua.

The slim young master took the array diagram but did not leave. Suddenly folded his paper fan, arrogantly said: "This young master is also extremely skilled in arrays, just no time to do these basic arrays, that's why I let you write on my behalf."

Mo Hua was too lazy to pay attention to him, picked up the grass root and continued drawing on the ground.

The slim young master was a bit annoyed, and coldly laughed: "I heard that among the Qi Refining initial stage cultivators in this Tongxian Sect, your arrays are drawn the best. I don't know how they compare to this young master. When we have time, we can compare."

Mo Hua thought in his heart: You already had me help you write array homework, so what is your own level?

But following the principle of harmony brings wealth, Mo Hua still lifted his head, picking nice words to praise:

"Naturally, the young master's array attainments are much higher. The Qian family is after all the first great clan in Tongxian City. Array inheritance is not comparable to other cultivators."

The slim young master's expression slightly eased, and he asked again: "Then you say, among the Qi Refining initial stage cultivators in this Tongxian Sect, is there anyone whose array level can surpass me?"

"There is, there is some..."

The slim young master was displeased, "Who are they?"

"For example, there are quite a few, can't count them all at once."

The slim young master was obviously angry.

"This is a good thing!" Mo Hua said nonsense with eyes open.

The slim young master coldly laughed: "Family background not as good as mine, spirit stones not as many as mine, but arrays higher than mine, and there are many such people. Are you saying I have stupid talent, can't compare to others? Where is this good?"

Mo Hua said: "In Tongxian City's cultivators, even if they have more talent, learn better, in the end after learning, don't they still have to enter the Qian family's Wanbao Tower, to refine tools, refine pills, draw arrays for the Qian family..."

"You think, you are only at Qi Refining, and already have Foundation Building cultivators working for you. You are only a first-grade array master, and already have second-grade array masters obeying you. How impressive is that! The stronger the abilities of the cultivators under you, the greater your own capability appears!"

The slim young master was stunned, then suddenly realized, "Seems to make a bit of sense!"

"Understand now."

The slim young master nodded, looking at the multitude of cultivators below the mountain, his neck held even higher:

"Not bad! Not bad! No matter how high your talent, how hard you cultivate, in the end, don't you still have to work like oxen and horses for my Qian family?"

The mean-faced Qian young master finished speaking and walked away with his head high and chest out.

After sending off the Qian family young master, Mo Hua continued to practice arrays on the ground with the grass root.

Not long after, several more wealthy family cultivators came over, one hand exchanging money and one hand goods, using spirit stones to buy several array diagrams from Mo Hua. After the transaction of the hand-copied arrays was done, Mo Hua already had twelve spirit stones in hand.

Twelve spirit stones, for loose cultivators, already not few, but for cultivation, still far from enough ah.

Mo Hua sighed, on his young face, there was a trace of helplessness.

Bottom-level cultivators, cultivation without hope ah...

In the Dao Calendar year one, that is, more than 20,000 years ago, the largest power in the cultivation world—the Dao Court—unified the nine provinces of cultivation, enfeoffed families and sects, established a unified rank system, and standardized the grades of cultivation professions.

The Dao Court also promulgated Dao laws to restrain cultivators, so that cultivators could not kill indiscriminately, could not rob, could not gather supplements.

The cultivation world developed because of this, peaceful for more than 20,000 years, prosperous to the extreme, vast territory, cultivators countless.

However, the Dao Court was prosperous and flourishing, the families enjoyed bell ringing and tripod feasts, the sects dominated one side.

Only the bottom-level loose cultivators, with nothing to rely on, lived in hardship, cultivation without hope.

The cultivation world multiplied for more than 20,000 years. The mortals without spiritual roots gradually naturally eliminated. The remaining are all with spiritual roots, can cultivate cultivators. But the more cultivators, the more they consume spiritual energy. The spiritual energy in heaven and earth is exhausted.

Now, for cultivators to cultivate, they need not only inheritance, but also spirit stones.

However, the great families occupy the spirit mines, bottom-level loose cultivators lack spirit stones. Large sects monopolize inheritance, ordinary loose cultivators have no way to cultivate.

In Tongxian City, the vast majority of loose cultivators, without inheritance and lacking spirit stones, for their entire lives, can only be Qi Refining realm cultivators.

Qi Refining realm, merely ants under the vast heavenly dao.

And Mo Hua, is one of the countless ants.

And very likely, for a lifetime!

On Mo Hua's childish face, there was a slight bitterness.

The heavenly dao perhaps is equal, but cultivation, absolutely not equal ah...

Mo Hua is a Qi Refining second layer loose cultivator, born in a Qi Refining realm loose cultivator family. Father and mother are both Qi Refining realm.

Father Mo Shan makes a living by hunting demons, every day needs to fight with demon beasts, his body full of scars. Mother works as a helper in the dining hall, affected by the stove fire qi, often has lung pain and dry cough.

And father and mother frugally saved all spirit stones, just to let Mo Hua enter the outer sect of Tongxian Sect to cultivate.

But no matter how Mo Hua cultivates, with middle-lower grade spiritual roots, although slightly better than ordinary people, in the cultivation world full of geniuses, it is destined to be just an ordinary one.

No matter how much he cultivates, possibly still just a Qi Refining realm cultivator.

Family conditions are difficult. Without spirit stones, Mo Hua can only like ordinary disciples, cultivate to Qi Refining sixth layer then leave the sect, then think of ways to learn a skill to make a living.

But Mo Hua is also innately weak-bodied!

For Qi Refining period cultivators, the jobs like refining tools, hunting demons, etc., generally only want physically strong body cultivators. Innately weak-bodied Mo Hua, possibly even can't find a job to barely make a living.

If in the future he marries and has children, the burden increases, all spirit stones will be used to support the family.

Mo Hua without spirit stones to cultivate, his cultivation will forever stagnate, for a lifetime just a Qi Refining cultivator.

Same as all the poor loose cultivators in this Tongxian City.

Same as the countless bottom-level cultivators in this cultivation world.

For a lifetime, just Qi Refining!

The ten-year-old Mo Hua sighed, packed up his mindset, then entered the sect for class. After cultivating for a day, Mo Hua returned to the disciple residence, and read some cultivation classics, until the Zi hour then lay on the bed.

When Mo Hua closed his eyes, in his sea of consciousness, a broken stele appeared.

On the broken stele, there were no words, but it seemed from the first time Mo Hua saw it, he knew the stele's name:

Dao Stele!