Chapter 223: Fireworks of Ten Thousand Families

Mo Shan smiled and nodded, "Correct."

"Are demonic beasts very difficult to deal with?"

"Indeed, not easy to deal with. Demonic beasts have profound and thick blood energy, and tough hides and thick flesh. Five or six cultivators of the same realm can only just hunt one demonic beast. For safety, it's best to have eight or nine."

Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and asked, "Then, looking at me now, can I kill a demonic beast on my own?"

"On your own... killing a demonic beast is not possible, being killed is more likely." Mo Hua said quietly while gnawing on a chicken leg.

Bai Zisheng wasn't convinced and glared at him slightly.

Mo Shan chuckled, "Not possible now, but when your cultivation is high in the future, there are likely good prospects."

Bai Zisheng was greatly encouraged.

"Dad, it's not right to lie," Mo Hua said.

Bai Zisheng was not convinced. "Uncle Mo is a master demon hunter, he definitely understands more than you."

He had asked Mo Hua before if he could hunt and kill a demonic beast alone.

Mo Hua said it was not possible, which made Bai Zisheng somewhat unconvinced. But Mo Hua had fought with demonic beasts while he had not, so Mo Hua's words had some credibility.

But now Uncle Mo said he had good prospects, perhaps he really could hunt and kill demonic beasts on his own in the future.

After all, Uncle Mo was a true master demon hunter. Mo Hua was just a little array master who could only rely on arrays and opportunism to kill demonic beasts.

Mo Shan added, "Even if you can really kill a demonic beast on your own, it's still best to find some companions, to look out for each other. Demonic beasts are extremely cunning."

Bai Zisheng nodded. "Uncle Mo, don't worry, I have it in mind."

He also usually listened to Mo Hua tell demon hunting stories, some of which were Mo Hua's personal experiences, and some were things Mo Hua had heard from others.

Among the stories were quite a few master demon hunters who, due to a moment of carelessness, were ambushed, attacked from behind, or deceived by a feigned death by a demonic beast, and lost their lives in vain. So he always kept this in mind as a warning.

Immediately, Bai Zisheng asked curiously, "Is the inner mountain of Dahei Shan much more dangerous than the outer mountain?"

Mo Hua's cultivation was not enough, only Qi Refining sixth layer, so he could only stay in the outer mountain. His daily accounts of experiences in Dahei Shan were also limited to the outer mountain.

What demonic beasts, miasma, mountain fog, dangerous places, etc., Bai Zisheng listened with some excitement, and at the same time, also some curiosity. The outer mountain is like this, what kind of scene is the inner mountain?

Mo Hua was eating meat, his cheeks bulging, listening intently. He hadn't been to the inner mountain yet, but he would go sooner or later.

Regarding matters in the inner mountain, he had only heard some scattered words from other master demon hunters and didn't understand much.

Mo Shan saw two pairs of black eyes staring at him, so he sat down and patiently began to speak:

"Miasma, fog forests, poisonous swamps, these things that the outer mountain has, the inner mountain also has. Moreover, the miasma is thicker, the fog is deeper, and the poison is heavier."

"The demonic beasts in the inner mountain are mostly of the late stage of the first grade, and their strength is extremely strong. If luck is not good, you will also encounter a second-grade demonic beast. That might truly be a close call with death."

Mo Hua asked, "Dad, have you encountered a second-grade demonic beast?"

Mo Shan nodded. "Only saw it from afar. Its blood energy was thick, dyeing the entire forest red. We were lucky, discovered it early, and hid early. That demonic beast seemed to have eaten its fill and was napping, and didn't bother us."

Mo Hua let out a breath.

Bai Zisheng then asked, "Can't a second-grade demonic beast be killed?"

"Very difficult to kill." Mo Shan sighed. "Where is it so easy to gather five or six, or even seven or eight, Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Mo Hua was a little worried. "Dad, will you still encounter second-grade demonic beasts later?"

Mo Shan saw Mo Hua's concerned gaze, his heart warmed, and he smiled and said:

"The inner mountain is very big, and it's rare to encounter them. There are not many second-grade demonic beasts to begin with, and they inhabit the vast inner mountain. It's not easy to encounter them either."

"Moreover, the blood energy of a second-grade demonic beast is too strong, you can discover it from a great distance. As long as you maintain vigilance and hide early, there generally won't be any life danger."

Mo Hua nodded.

Mo Shan continued, "Besides the environment and demonic beasts, the most dangerous thing in the inner mountain is actually people."

Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng exchanged glances, both a little surprised.

"Are they demon hunter masters, or other cultivators?" Mo Hua asked.

"Both. There are demon hunter masters from outside who will intentionally rob prey, and there are also some cultivators from other paths, all kinds, with unfathomable thoughts."

Mo Hua said curiously, "Why haven't I encountered these cultivators in the outer mountain?"

Mo Shan chuckled and explained, "Dahei Shan is very big, the mountain range stretches majestically, and it also connects to other regions. Xian City here is only one part of Dahei Shan..."

"The outer mountain of Dahei Shan is connected to Xian City, not to outside places. But the inner mountain is different."

"The mountain paths in the inner mountain are more intricate and complex, extending in all directions. Cultivators from the southern regions who want to enter the city or pass through must necessarily pass through the inner mountain."

"The inner mountain is gloomy and remote, and people's hearts are suppressed, making it easy to breed evil thoughts. Things like robbing wealth and sex, killing people and seizing treasures often happen. Afterwards, they destroy the bodies and erase the traces on the spot, so no one knows, and ghosts are unaware."

Mo Hua's heart felt cold as he listened.

Demonic beasts are dangerous, but human hearts are even more dangerous.

In this world, those who devour people are not necessarily demons, they can also be people.

Mo Shan saw Mo Hua and Bai Zisheng's faces were tight and their expressions a little heavy. Only then did he realize that talking about these topics was not appropriate on this joyous day of the new year. So he changed the subject and talked about some interesting things about demon hunting.

Bai Zisheng was hearing them for the first time and listened with great interest.

Mo Hua, on the other hand, was alright. He had already heard some of the stories; Bai Zisheng was listening to his leftovers.

But now that he had entered Dahei Shan and knew what demon hunting was like, these stories that he once found interesting could now reveal the dangers and unpredictability within. Listening to them again naturally had a different flavor.

Unknowingly, the sky gradually grew late. Liu Ruhua asked them to stay for dinner.

Bai Zisheng was very eager, but Xue Yi politely declined, saying:

"Thank you, Sister Liu. We have bothered you for so long, it is time for us to go back."

Liu Ruhua could not insist, and Mo Hua saw them to the door.

Bai Zisheng was a little reluctant to part and did not want to go back.

Here there was food, drinks, stories to listen to, and people to chat with. Going back, he could only cultivate and do boring homework.

Bai Zixi did not show any expression, but a faint hint of regret flowed in her eyes as she glanced.

Mo Hua himself was unrestrained. Although he had to cultivate and practice arrays every day, he could play when he wanted to, unlike the Bai family siblings who had to do homework according to rules every day.

Seeing their somewhat low expressions, Mo Hua's eyes slightly brightened, and he invited them:

"Xue Yi, there will be flower lanterns and fireworks on the fifteenth. You all come to watch."

Xue Yi smiled gently at Mo Hua but still declined, saying:

"We appreciate your kindness, but we just won't watch the fireworks."

Mo Hua laughed, "The fireworks are urged by arrays, and the arrays are drawn by me. They might be good-looking."

Xue Yi was a little astonished. "You drew them?"

"Um." Mo Hua nodded. "I spent a lot of effort to draw them well!"

Actually, he didn't spend long. After all, they were just arrays for fireworks, not too difficult.

Xue Yi saw Mo Hua's confident appearance and couldn't help but laugh. She pondered for a moment and also nodded, saying:

"Then we will come to watch when you release the fireworks."

Bai Zisheng was overjoyed and threw a grateful look at Mo Hua. Bai Zixi's eyes, looking at Mo Hua, also slightly shone.

It was the fifteenth day of the first month, and night had already fallen. The streets were filled with lanterns and ribbons.

Mo Hua checked the fireworks complex array again, confirming there were no problems, and then nodded.

The fireworks complex array was formed by connecting ordinary fireworks arrays in parallel. It was not a first-grade array, and the number of array patterns was not many, so Mo Hua drew it very easily.

The fireworks complex array was drawn on both sides of the riverbank, using the dike stones as the array medium. As long as a spirit stone was crushed and spiritual energy was injected, the array could be activated to launch fireworks into the sky.

Mo Hua did not use paper as the array medium because paper is disposable; after the array is activated, the array paper cannot withstand the array's spiritual power and will be destroyed.

However, using earth and stones as the array medium, the array can operate multiple times.

This way, not only on the fifteenth day of the first month, but after every festival, the array could be activated to release fireworks for celebration.

Mo Hua went to find Elder Yu to reimburse the spirit stones used for the fireworks arrays.

Since the arrays were not complex and did not consume many spirit stones, Elder Yu readily agreed.

At the Xu hour (9-11 pm), Mo Hua activated the array.

Afterward, Mo Hua ran to the stone bridge and watched the fireworks with his dad, mom, Bai Zisheng, Bai Zixi, and Xue Yi.

After the arrays were activated, fifteen breaths passed, and the array patterns then lit up.

The five-colored array patterns on both sides of the riverbank lit up successively, then condensed into dazzling five-colored light, which suddenly rose, flying into the pitch-black night sky, blooming into brilliant fireworks, layer upon layer, one after another, like a thousand trees and ten thousand flowers, or stars and flowing rain.

The pitch-black night curtain was like a base cloth, and the blooming fireworks were like gorgeous embroidery, weaving a magnificent and colorful brocade on the night curtain.

The sky was full of brilliance, beautiful beyond words.

For a time, countless cultivators all raised their heads to look at the night sky, at the gorgeous fireworks, watching the fireworks bloom and illuminate the streets and alleys of Xian City.