Chapter 644: Deadline

Bi Shan Magic Cave, Heaven Outside Cave Heaven?

Mo Hua and Gu Changhuai faced each other.

"Bi Shan Magic Cave, does it mean that here in Bi Shan City, there's a magic cave for sin cultivators and evil cultivators to live in?"

"Heaven Outside Cave Heaven, does it refer to the location of this magic cave, a place outside heaven, with its own cave heaven?"

Mo Hua silently pondered.

"Bi Shan Magic Cave..."

Gu Changhuai's gaze also gradually sharpened.

Mo Hua muttered again, with some doubts.

Bi Shan City is an immortal city, with numerous cultivators coming and going, and even a Dao Court Department stationed there. Where could a "magic cave" come from?

Is this magic cave a large-scale base for the Magic Teach?

Or just a temporary dwelling place for sin cultivators and evil cultivators?

What exactly is hidden inside?

Is Fire Buddha currently hiding inside this magic cave?

Mo Hua couldn't understand, so he leaned closer to Gu Changhuai and asked in a low voice:

"Uncle Gu, have you ever heard of this 'Bi Shan Magic Cave'?"

Gu Changhuai's expression was grave, and he shook his head.

The Dao Court Department had never received any clues related to this so-called "Bi Shan Magic Cave."

And within Bi Shan City, under the eyes of the Dao Court Department, how could any "magic cave" be built?

But Jia Ren was caught by chance, his storage bag was secretly hidden, and the transmission book order was even sealed afterwards.

The text inside shouldn't be fake.

Mo Hua frowned in thought, suddenly his gaze brightened slightly.

Gu Changhuai was a little surprised, "Are you thinking of something again?"

Mo Hua nodded. He quickly sorted things out in his mind, then asked:

"Uncle Gu, after the Xie Family was exterminated, Fire Buddha and the others disappeared directly into a sea of fire in front of all the cultivators in Bi Shan City..."

"How exactly did they disappear?"

"Could it be..."

Mo Hua put forward a bold conjecture: "...teleportation?"

Gu Changhuai was startled, then shook his head.

"It couldn't be. Teleportation involves spatial power, which is a divine ability of a fifth-grade Cave Void realm cultivator. This is the second-grade realm. Heaven's laws restrict it; they cannot teleport..."

Mo Hua had guessed as much.

It was just that his understanding of cultivation paths was limited after all. He wasn't too clear about the divine abilities of the fifth-grade Cave Void realm, which was "unreachable." So he just wanted to confirm with Uncle Gu.

At least exclude the possibility of "spatial teleportation" first.

However, Mo Hua had one major doubt.

Spatial power is an ability only possessed by ancestors in the Cave Void realm, and heaven's laws restrict it to the fifth grade.

But don't storage bags, with their internal space, also contain spatial power?

Why, then, can cultivators in the low-level first or second grade also use storage bags?

Mo Hua then asked Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai was a little unexpected.

These things weren't considered secrets or rumors within the great clans of the world.

But Mo Hua looked bewildered, clearly not understanding at all.

In his heart, Gu Changhuai felt, inexplicably, much more balanced.

So, you, this boy, also have things you don't understand...

Gu Changhuai's eyebrows lifted slightly, and he explained with unprecedented patience:

"A storage bag is a dead object. Its spatial power is objective and can only hold some inanimate things."

"Whereas the spatial power of the fifth grade can be controlled subjectively by cultivators, and it can also accommodate 'living things' that have life, allowing for instantaneous void travel or teleportation..."

Mo Hua suddenly enlightened. Then he asked again:

"How are storage bags made? Do they involve array methods?"

Gu Changhuai shook his head, "Storage bags don't involve array methods..."

"Or, to be more precise, they don't involve fifth-grade space array methods. Even if there are array methods, they are just ordinary ones used for reinforcement, beautification, dust removal, or concealing aura..."

"These array methods are ordinary array methods and do not involve spatial power."

"The creation of the spatial power in storage bags originates from 'silkworm silk'..."

Mo Hua was a little stunned, "Silkworm silk?"

Gu Changhuai casually pulled out a storage bag from the ground, tore open the opening, revealing fine threads at the mouth.

"Storage bags are woven from silkworm silk."

"This kind of silkworm silk comes from 'Blue Sky Silkworms.' 'Blue Sky Silkworms' contain spatial power, so the silkworm silk they spit out naturally carries extra space."

"With a special refining tool method, this silkworm silk is woven into a storage bag, which naturally attaches extra space."

"That's why I just said that the space in a storage bag is dead and exists objectively..."

"So that's how it is..."

Mo Hua couldn't help but nod, then said: "Then this 'Blue Sky Silkworm,' since it contains spatial power, must be very expensive, right..."

"Not considered expensive..."

Mo Hua was very surprised, "It contains spatial power, but it's not expensive..."

Gu Changhuai said: "Yes, the expensive ones are 'Gold Sky Silkworms' and 'Star Sky Silkworms,' these ancient species of space silkworms."

"Gold Sky Silkworm? Star Sky Silkworm?"

Mo Hua hadn't even heard of them and looked a little bewildered.

Gu Changhuai's mood instantly became much more comfortable. He continued: "In ancient times, the number of spiritual tools and magic treasures that could store things was extremely scarce."

"This is because the silkworm species used to refine these spiritual tools and magic treasures naturally contained powerful spatial power, were difficult to capture and raise, and produced very little silkworm silk."

"Since there were few ancient silkworm species, naturally, there were also few space spiritual tools and magic treasures refined."

"However, the quality of these space 'ancient treasures,' though small in quantity, was extremely high."

"Without exception, they were refined using silkworm silk, silkworm skin, or silkworm pupa produced by extremely high-quality, extremely famous space silkworm species. Therefore, they were all supreme treasures of the cultivation path, and the space inside was naturally also extremely large."

"It was truly a bag containing heaven and earth, a ring containing the universe..."

"And with the development of the cultivation realm and the countless cultivators, the demand for space spiritual tools also increased day by day."

"Successive generations of beast tamers could only think of all sorts of ways to artificially cultivate some species of space silkworms that were easier to multiply, easier to raise, and at the same time cheaper."

"At the same time, some astonishingly talented refining tool masters were also constantly improving the refining method of storage bags, hoping to allow the majority of cultivators in the entire cultivation realm to use storage bags."

"Blue Sky Silkworm is, up to now, the most suitable space silkworm species cultivated by cultivators for raising."

"Blue Sky Silkworm silk is cheap and very durable, although the space is slightly small."

"In today's cultivation realm, over eighty percent of storage bags are woven from Blue Sky Silkworm silk."

"There are also some silkworm species more famous than Blue Sky Silkworms."

"But the silkworm silk these species spit out, when made into storage bags, is much more expensive and not something ordinary cultivators can afford."

"As for the more famous, ancient Gold Sky Silkworms, Star Sky Silkworms..."

Gu Changhuai sighed, feeling a little pity.

"...These silkworm species were originally scarce in reproduction, and over tens of thousands of years, they have been frantically snatched and hunted by cultivators, and now most are endangered, or even already extinct..."

"The minority that survive have either become 'forbidden items' of the central Dao Court or the great families and sects of the local world."

"Or they simply reside in hidden spaces in some ancient dao fields, abyss forbidden grounds, or absolute realms of heaven and earth, unknown to people..."

Gu Changhuai explained the origins of storage spiritual tools.

Mo Hua couldn't help but widen his eyes.

He hadn't expected that the storage bag he used every day hid so many secrets.

The seemingly ordinary storage bag was also the crystallization of continuous tens of thousands of years of countless cultivators' hard work and the development and evolution of various cultivation path skills.

Seemingly ordinary things, yet containing profound principles.

Mo Hua was in a daze, and at the same time, a sigh arose in his heart.

Cave Void realm, spatial power.

Fifth-grade space array methods...

He didn't know when he could cultivate to the Cave Void realm and learn fifth-grade array methods...

Mo Hua sighed regretfully. After being in a daze for a while, he finally remembered that Fire Buddha's matter was still important.

Since it wasn't teleportation... that was easier to handle.

Under the restriction of the second-grade laws, the abilities of moving cultivators were also limited.

Mo Hua was an array master, and a profound one at that. He was very clear about the various abilities of cultivators in the second grade and the laws of the cultivation path.

Mo Hua pondered: "They didn't truly disappear, they didn't teleport, which means they weren't seen..."

"Cannot be seen also means they concealed themselves."

"It's not necessarily a concealment technique. It's very likely that they used concealment spiritual tools, most likely, a concealment array..."

"Fire Buddha and the others exterminated the Xie Family's entire clan, then used a concealment array to disappear from the sea of fire, hiding somewhere unknown..."

"And the eight characters on this transmission book order, 'Bi Shan Magic Cave, Heaven Outside Cave Heaven,' are very likely the location and code for this group of sin cultivators to hide..."

"Bi Shan City is an immortal city with many people and varied ears. It stands to reason that magic cultivators cannot hide."

"But if there truly is a magic cave, then this magic cave is very likely to be covered by a concealment array..."

"Bi Shan City has interlocking mountains and complex terrain..."

"Building a magic cave, once hidden by a concealment array, ordinary cultivators really wouldn't necessarily be able to discover it..."

"There's still another sentence, Heaven Outside Cave Heaven..."

"That is to say, those cliffs, precipices, and remote and steep places in the city are very likely the location of the magic cave."

"Heaven, possibly means 'One Line Heaven'..."

"In places like One Line Heaven, some passages covered by concealment arrays, like 'heaven's road,' outside of heaven's road, there is a separate cave heaven..."

Mo Hua's thoughts were clear, and he narrated eloquently.

Gu Changhuai was a little astonished.

This child was indeed too smart.

Not only was his thinking agile, and his array knowledge profound, but even these strange "experiences" seemed very rich...

Just like someone who often deals with sin cultivators and evil cultivators...

He knew how they acted and how they hid.

This wasn't quite right.

Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment and asked with doubt:

"You... how do you know so much?"

Mo Hua didn't conceal anything and said: "I've seen it before, so I have a very deep impression."

"Seen?"

Gu Changhuai didn't understand.

"Yes." Mo Hua nodded, "Thinking back, I was still in Tong Xian City, working as a demon hunter..."

"The sin cultivators in Big Black Mountain used a concealment array to hide the road to the back mountain, then used the cover of heavy fog to kill people and rob goods, doing evil..."

"I also saw some evil cultivators building strongholds after One Line Heaven to refine corpses, with corpse halls and so on..."

Gu Changhuai frowned, "Aren't you an array master? When did you become a demon hunter again?"

Mo Hua said: "My dad is a demon hunter. The son inherits the father's business. What's so strange? This is a traditional craft that cannot be lost..."

"However, I was born with a weak constitution and wasn't very good at demon hunting, so I had to find some other avenues..."

"Besides being a demon hunter, I'm also an array master, and I'm also involved with the Dao Court Department... an external member cultivator of the Dao Court Department..."

"Alas..." Mo Hua sighed, looking helpless: "There's no other way. Our family was poor from a young age, so it was inevitable to suffer a little bit and have to do everything a little bit..."

Gu Changhuai looked at his fair-skinned and tender face, and his occasionally bold appearance. He didn't believe at all that he had suffered any "bitter" hardships...

However...

"Your mere ten-odd years of life have been quite rich..."

Gu Changhuai said.

Again, a demon hunter, again sin cultivators who kill people and rob goods in the back mountain, again strongholds and corpse cultivation and so on...

He didn't know if it was true or if he was making up stories.

"It's okay..."

Mo Hua nodded.

Gu Changhuai shook his head.

No matter what, Mo Hua's conjecture still had several points of reason.

Especially the part about array methods...

Gu Changhuai was now convinced that Mo Hua's claim of being "skilled in array methods" was indeed the plain truth.

He originally thought that the so-called "skilled in array methods" was just a back door opened by his cousin to get Mo Hua into Tai Xu Gate, a mere excuse to save face.

But now it seemed that Mo Hua wasn't just "skilled" in array methods.

His level of array methods was already somewhat "unimaginable."

He had grown up and seen talented disciples, and seen disciples who were good at array methods.

But he had never seen someone who was so good at array methods that he couldn't even understand them, and whose talent was so exaggerated that he didn't even know how to express it...

Gu Changhuai was helpless.

His cousin had put in so much effort to get Mo Hua into Tai Xu Gate. On the contrary, Tai Xu Gate might have picked up a "great bargain."

It wasn't his cousin acting on impulse and wasting Tai Xu Gate's favor.

Tai Xu Gate might even, conversely, still owe his cousin a favor...

Gu Changhuai's mood was a bit complex.

He thought for a moment, then nodded to Mo Hua: "I'll have people investigate in this direction..."

Mo Hua's eyes lit up, "Then I..."

"It has nothing to do with you."

Mo Hua was startled.

Gu Changhuai said: "You have to go back to class."

"Ah?" Mo Hua was dumbfounded.

Gu Changhuai glanced at Mo Hua, "Otherwise, how long do you plan to stay?"

"The season break is only two days. You have to return to the sect tomorrow. As for the matters behind, you just don't need to worry about them."

"Furthermore, if you really run into Fire Buddha and get into a real fight, you won't be able to help..."

After speaking, Gu Changhuai also patted Mo Hua's shoulder.

"Cultivate well."

Mo Hua's heart instantly felt "cold."

He felt like he had been "unloaded from the mill and killed like a donkey."

In his heart, Uncle Gu had already been labeled as someone who "crosses the river and demolishes the bridge."

But he still had to return to the sect.

Skipping class without a reason would lead to expulsion.

Mo Hua said: "I can ask for leave, right?"

Gu Changhuai had an indifferent expression, "What does that have to do with me? I am the Chief Administrator of the Dao Court Department, not an elder of Tai Xu Gate, so I can't approve your leave..."

Mo Hua was speechless.

Gu Changhuai then waved his hand, "Go back..."

So, the helpless Mo Hua could only return to Tai Xu Gate with a reluctant and unwilling heart.

Back at Tai Xu Gate, Mo Hua still cultivated, attended classes, and drew array methods every day.

But in his heart, he thought about Fire Buddha's matter day and night...

"My Falling Fire Technique..."

If he didn't catch Fire Buddha, he wouldn't get the formula for the Falling Fire Technique. Without a stable technique style reference, his research on fireball fusion techniques would fall into a dead end.

The killing power of his own techniques would not significantly improve either.

What to do?

Mo Hua didn't give up and sent messages every day to ask about the progress of the Fire Buddha investigation.

"Uncle Gu..."

"Uncle Gu..."

Seeing that the other side didn't reply, Mo Hua simply sent: "Gu Changhuai!"

Gu Changhuai actually replied, "Pay a little attention to your words..."

Mo Hua quickly and "obediently" asked: "Uncle Gu, Uncle Gu, have you found it? Where is the magic cave?"

"No..."

After another day, Mo Hua asked again: "Uncle Gu, have you found it?"

Gu Changhuai still replied: "No."

Every day after that, Mo Hua would ask, and Gu Changhuai would reply: "No."

Mo Hua detected a hint of suspicion.

"Uncle Gu, you're not lying to me, are you..."

"People should be honest!"

The other side was silent.

Mo Hua thought, indeed.

"Have you found the location of the magic cave?"

Gu Changhuai hesitated for a moment, then replied: "You just focus on cultivating and don't worry about this kind of thing."

Mo Hua was unhappy: "If you don't tell me, and later there's something you need my help with, I won't help either!"

Gu Changhuai sneered in his heart.

Ask for your help?

I, the dignified Chief Administrator of the Dao Court Department, a Gold Core cultivator, what matter could I need help with from you, a small Foundation Establishment cultivator...

Gu Changhuai was startled for a moment.

Mo Hua's series of complex and difficult-to-understand array method means when he transmitted the book order suddenly reappeared in his mind.

There was also solving the array, solving the seal...

As well as his understanding of array methods...

Gu Changhuai suppressed his urge to speak boastfully. He felt that as an adult, it was better to tell the truth and not lie to a child.

Gu Changhuai sighed and replied: "We found it."

Mo Hua's spirit lifted, "How did you find it?"

Gu Changhuai was helpless and could only start from the beginning: "We investigated from the outside in... on the surface, we released news saying that Fire Buddha was likely hiding elsewhere, relaxing the alert within Bi Shan City."

"Secretly, we sent more people to keep a watchful eye day and night."

"If Fire Buddha is hiding in Bi Shan City, he will definitely seize the opportunity to escape. He can't hide forever."

"Indeed, after a few days, we discovered a suspicious cultivator."

"Bi Shan City was already sealed, and cultivators' household registrations were checked one by one, but in all the household registrations, there was no record of this cultivator."

"He appeared out of thin air..."

"He came out of the 'magic cave' out of thin air to probe the situation..."

"We tracked this suspicious cultivator and found that he circled around the city, then went to the dangerous mountain north of the city alone. After that, the person disappeared..."

"The Dao Court Department transferred array masters, as well as some spiritual tools that break through concealment and spy on hidden things, and finally discovered the entrance to the magic cave..."

Gu Changhuai stopped speaking at this point.

Mo Hua quickly asked: "Then?"

"No then."

"Isn't it a magic cave? Isn't Fire Buddha inside?"

"Can't go in..."

Gu Changhuai sighed, "A suspended isolated mountain, a cliff with a single line, on the opposite side, there is dense magic gas, not knowing how many evil magic cultivators are inside."

"Entering rashly, life and death are hard to predict, and it might alert the enemy."

"Moreover, there are array methods arranged both inside and outside."

Mo Hua was a little doubtful, "The Dao Court Department has quite a few people, and they don't lack array masters..."

Gu Changhuai was silent for a long time, then replied with a sentence: "This, I cannot tell you..."

Mo Hua was startled and muttered in his heart, "Acting mysterious..."

Immediately, he thought for a moment and asked: "Do you want me to help?"

Gu Changhuai was very stubborn, "No need."

"No need to be polite."

"I'm not being polite."

"I won't take risks or make a move, I'll just help you take a look at the array methods and find some loopholes in them..." Mo Hua said "gradually inducing."

Gu Changhuai did waver.

"You... have to attend class, right?" Gu Changhuai said hesitantly.

Mo Hua thought, indeed.

It seemed that Uncle Gu had indeed encountered difficulties and needed someone like himself, who was skilled in array methods, to help.

"I can try to ask for leave."

Gu Changhuai was silent.

Mo Hua probably understood in his heart.

Uncle Gu was definitely being stubborn and couldn't bring himself to ask for help.

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then "kindly" gave him a way out, transmitting the message: "Uncle Gu, if the sect approves my holiday, then I'll just go and help you all catch Fire Buddha?"

Gu Changhuai then reservedly said: "Okay..."

But between the words, he was clearly relieved.

Mo Hua shook his head, there was nothing he could do about him.

Uncle Gu's side was resolved, but asking for leave... was not that easy to ask for.

General elders could approve one or two days of holiday, but not more than that.

And entering the magic cave to catch Fire Buddha, this kind of thing definitely couldn't be completed in one or two days.

It was estimated that even if everything went smoothly, it would take at least six or seven days.

If he used the two days of season break to make up for it a bit, that would still require at least five days of leave...

He could only go to Mr. Xun.

But Mr. Xun...

He couldn't possibly approve his leave, right?

Mo Hua was a little troubled.

Tell Mr. Xun, "Mr., I want to ask for five days of leave to help the Dao Court Department catch a Foundation Establishment late-stage, extremely vicious, full-clan exterminator who also practices forbidden techniques?"

Unless Mr. Xun fainted, it was impossible for him to agree.

Then, he could only be a little vague...

Mo Hua then went to Mr. Xun and changed his story, saying that the Dao Court Department wanted him to draw array methods, and it would probably take five days.

Mr. Xun looked doubtful, "Dao Court Department? Ask you? Draw array methods? And for five days?"

Mo Hua toughened up and nodded.

"Why?"

Mr. Xun asked.

Mo Hua vaguely said: "Chief Administrator Gu of the Dao Court Department invited me, I'm not sure either..."

Mr. Xun shook his head, "Where can't you draw array methods? Why must you go to the Dao Court Department, and five days of leave is too long..."

Mo Hua sighed, a little disappointed.

Mr. Xun was about to say something, when he suddenly startled, "You just said... Chief Administrator Gu of the Dao Court Department..."

"Yes, yes." Mo Hua nodded continuously.

"How do you know the Chief Administrator of the Gu family?"

"I know Aunt Wan from the Shangguan family, and Chief Administrator Gu is Aunt Wan's cousin..."

Mr. Xun was slightly startled and asked again: "Did he say what array methods to draw?"

Mo Hua shook his head, "No, he just said they are second-grade array methods, very difficult, estimated to take a long time to draw, so I want to ask for five days of leave..."

Mr. Xun looked at Mo Hua with some surprise.

Dao Court Department... Gu family...

The Gu family has deep roots and wide connections in the Dao Court Department.

If this child Mo Hua knows and has a friendship with the Gu family, it will be more convenient for him in the Dao Court Department side in the future...

At least he won't be targeted by the Dao Court Department and suffer some unwarranted disasters.

Mr. Xun pondered slightly and asked Mo Hua again: "Just drawing array methods, no other dangers, right?"

"No!" Mo Hua said firmly.

"Okay." Mr. Xun nodded, thought for a moment, and then admonished: "Draw these array methods well. The Gu family within the Dao Court Department is still considered upright; you can make some friends and become a familiar face."

"Yes, yes, Mr., please rest assured!"

Mo Hua nodded.

He was quite familiar with Uncle Gu now.

"Okay, go ahead." Mr. Xun waved his hand.

Mo Hua bowed respectfully, then couldn't help but leave in a joyful mood.

He found Elder Song and said he wanted to ask for five days of leave, and Mr. Xun agreed.

Elder Song's expression was endlessly astonished, and at the same time, he was dissatisfied in his heart.

Mr. Xun was too lenient with this child!

Five days of leave, really outrageous!

Then he signed and stamped, approving Mo Hua's leave request.

"Anyway, I can't manage it either. Ask for as many days as you like. I'm only responsible for stamping..."

Elder Song said indifferently in his heart.

Mo Hua got permission and happily returned to his disciple residence.

He calculated it just right.

Five days of leave plus two days of season break was exactly seven days.

He had to catch Fire Buddha within seven days to possibly get the formula for the Falling Fire Technique, thereby laying the technical foundation for improving his own forbidden fireball fusion technique.

Once it exceeded seven days, he could no longer intervene.

After seven days, either Fire Buddha would be caught by the Dao Court Department, or he would escape.

If he didn't get the Falling Fire Technique, everything would be in vain, a waste of effort.

So...

Mo Hua's small face hardened, and his gaze was firm: "Within seven days, Fire Buddha must die!"