Chapter 1147

Before this journey, Mo Hua had encountered numerous high-ranking sect officials, including sect leaders, elders, and the Young Master of the Corpse Dao. Each encounter typically filled him with a calculating mindset and a desire to kill.

However, traveling and living alongside these ordinary boatmen, sharing meals and accommodations, he genuinely felt a simple kindness and perceived an unadorned sense of "humanity." Consequently, much of Mo Hua's internal turmoil subsided, and his understanding of "the common people" became a little clearer.

"Humanity..." Mo Hua felt a subtle contentment, his expression pensive.

Subsequently, the sand boat continued its journey, shrouded by the pervasive sandstorms. Mo Hua, in this way, set aside his cultivation and identity. He worked diligently like any ordinary, low-ranking physical cultivator, eating when hungry and sleeping when tired. By day, he would lie by the boat's railing, gazing at the boundless sand sea; by night, he stood on deck, observing the desolate, sandy night sky. His heart found profound peace, and the malevolent and aggressive energies within his destiny greatly receded.

This routine continued for half a month, and the journey remained relatively smooth. There were no major disasters, only occasional minor inconveniences.

The most frequent challenge came from sand beasts. Sand beasts are a collective term for the demonic creatures inhabiting the sand sea. Cultivators below the Ascension realm cannot fly or teleport. Without a sand boat, it is impossible for them to traverse or even survive in the vast sand sea, let alone cross it safely. However, these sand beasts are different. Compared to cultivators, sand beasts are inherently better adapted to the sand sea environment and have survived and proliferated for generations, relying on its shelter. Their limbs, mouths, feet, feathers, and tails have all undergone specific mutations to adapt to the sand sea.

Mo Hua observed an earth-yellow sand beast resembling a "pangolin," freely roaming and undulating through the sand sea. He also saw a brown, long-beaked sand bird beast, reminiscent of a hawk, flapping its wings and gliding across the sand sea. Furthermore, there were countless other types of sand beasts with unusual scales and strange claws that Mo Hua had never encountered before. Witnessing them firsthand, he couldn't help but marvel at the vastness of the world and the wonders of creation. It appeared these sand beasts were truly the masters of the sand sea. Humans, in contrast, were mere uninvited guests in this domain.

Naturally, as "demonic beasts," these sand beasts possessed inherent ferocity and were extremely hostile towards cultivators. Moreover, cultivators were, in fact, one of their food sources. Along the way, various first and second-grade sand beasts, of all sizes and bizarre shapes, would lie in ambush within the sand sea, suddenly lunging out to attack the sand boat, making it difficult to guard against them. Most cultivators would be unable to detect them and would be caught completely by surprise.

Fortunately, the boat captain and his crew, who had plied the sand sea for years and accumulated vast experience, often seemed to "know beforehand," issuing warnings even before the sand beasts emerged. Subsequently, the sand boat would either evade the creatures or they would be hunted with harpoons; everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Mo Hua secretly admired their skill. His spiritual sense was exceptionally keen, allowing him to naturally know the movements of these concealed sand beasts, which left no traces in the sand sea, like the back of his hand.

However, the boat captain and his crew, whose cultivation and spiritual senses were not particularly strong, could identify sand beasts that blended seamlessly with the environment purely through the keen eyesight developed from years of navigating sandstorms, and the intuition honed by experience. Mo Hua felt a surge of admiration. Indeed, any cultivator capable of making a living independently in the cultivation world, regardless of their cultivation realm or strength, possessed a significant and undeniable ability. While individuals of remarkable appearance and demeanor often possess great talent, capable individuals are also abundant among the inconspicuous. The wider his travels and the more people he met, the stronger this conviction grew for Mo Hua.

Beyond sand beasts, the sand sea occasionally held shipwrecks and reefs eroded by the sandstorms. Accidental collisions with these could damage the hull. Thus, these sand-laden "reefs" necessitated extreme caution. Lastly, there were the sand bandits.

Sand bandits were largely comparable to mountain bandits: rogue cultivators who lived by plunder. They roamed the sand sea on leather rafts, scurrying like hyenas or vermin, launching attacks to kill and steal goods if they encountered a weakly defended convoy. These sand bandits were also ruthless desperadoes. In fact, they were even more brutal than mountain bandits. If defeated, mountain bandits could retreat into the mountains. For sand bandits, however, defeat and falling into the sand sea meant certain death. Therefore, they either refrained from acting or, once they made a move, it became a fight to the death.

Mo Hua encountered a few sand bandits during the journey. However, these were small, sparse groups who kept their distance, not daring to attack their convoy, and eventually dispersed. The boat captain and his crew handled these risks.

Whenever Mo Hua had spare time, he would delve into studying the sand boat's construction. The sand boat glided across the sand sea, crushing the sand beneath it as it moved forward, much like a conventional vessel cutting through waves on water. Yet, a sand boat differed significantly from an ordinary "ship." A regular boat floats on water effortlessly. A sand boat, however, cannot. It requires the skeletal remains of sand demonic beasts for its keel and their hides for its sails to navigate the sand sea without sinking. Mo Hua had previously believed this to be true. The late Steward Wang from Small Post City had also informed him of this.

However, after boarding a sand boat and personally observing its operational principles, Mo Hua realized that the bones and hides of sand beasts only allowed the vessel to float for a short period and provided resistance to erosion from sandstorms. The true core, however, lay in its formations. These were very specialized formations. Without these specific formations, a sand boat could not remain afloat on the sand sea for long, let alone navigate it. Outsiders, unaware of the sand boat's internal mechanics, naturally assumed that the demonic beasts' bones and hides were central to its navigation. The local clans, clearly unwilling to reveal the sand boat's secrets, made no effort to correct this misconception. Consequently, many "facts" widely accepted by the public were merely the "assumptions" of the uninformed, often deemed trivial by those with true expertise.

"Indeed, many things in this world cannot be truly understood without witnessing them firsthand," Mo Hua mused silently. He then, as was his custom, began to reverse-engineer the sand boat's internal structure and analyze the composition of its formations. The sand boat's formations were highly confidential, inscribed on the vessel's underside and shielded by layers of wood and metal plating to prevent unauthorized scrutiny. A typical formation master would naturally find it impossible to discern its intricacies. However, this posed no challenge to Mo Hua, who had studied Heavenly Mechanism Derivation.

Heavenly Mechanism Derivation, an algorithm named after "Heavenly Mechanism" and considered on par with the Deceptive Mechanism Calculation of the Master of Guile, is rarely mentioned and not widely known. As a result, people are generally unaware of how truly deep and formidable this "Heavenly Mechanism" method of derivation is. Even Mo Hua himself wasn't fully aware. He only knew that the Heavenly Mechanism Derivation taught by his master was incredibly powerful, yet he had merely scratched the surface of its teachings. He still only partially understood the true depth and power of this derivation method. Nevertheless, even grasping just a "smattering" of it was enough to profoundly benefit Mo Hua. At the very least, it proved to be a divine skill for "secretly learning" formations.

The sand boat navigated through the sandstorm. The core formation beneath the hull was active, transforming the sand particles at the bottom into a more fluid state, which then provided reverse propulsion for the sand boat's movement. When he had nothing else to do, Mo Hua would lie on the deck, gazing idly at the vast desert sea. Meanwhile, his spiritual sense secretly performed derivations, reverse-engineering the formations from the trails of spiritual energy they emitted, analyzing their framework categories and the composition of their patterns.

"There are water and earth patterns of the Five Elements…""And trigrams, specifically the Gen pattern…""The structure isn't complex, yet its conception is incredibly ingenious. It uses earth to create sand, harmonizing with the sand sea, then employs subtle water patterns to solidify the sand's surface. For brief periods, it uses Gen patterns to form a mountain array, supporting the hull…""And a touch of the Xun array?""Using the Xun wind to propel the sand boat forward?"

The more Mo Hua analyzed, the more intricate he found it, marveling inwardly. Broadly speaking, the formations used on this sand boat were a combination of Five Elements and Eight Trigrams arrays. While the underlying framework wasn't abstruse, the precise ratios of different formation patterns, their sequential operation, the reactions of the patterns, their influence on external objects, and the feedback of all things to pattern changes—all these variables involved numerous intricate considerations. With a single glance, Mo Hua realized that this formation encapsulated vast computational power, profound dedication, and immense effort. It was likely the fruit of generations of local formation masters, who had painstakingly researched and dedicated their efforts to its development. Their goal was to design a formation capable of helping vessels "smoothly navigate" the sand sea.

This array of formations was like an "answer." The answer itself was not inherently difficult. However, arriving at this problem-solving answer had consumed the efforts and ingenuity of countless generations of genius formation masters. Mo Hua felt a profound sense of respect.

As he was lost in thought, footsteps suddenly broke his contemplation. Mo Hua quickly gathered his thoughts, turned his head, and saw the boat captain approaching. The man was somewhat stooped and his face was deeply lined by years of wind and frost. The boat captain acknowledged Mo Hua with a nod. Mo Hua greeted him, "Hello, Captain."

The boat captain, seemingly weary from constantly scanning the sand sea for sand beasts and bandits, came to the deck for a breath of fresh air. Noticing Mo Hua, he sat down beside him, still gazing at the sandstorm, and asked, "How are you finding it? Are you settling in?"

Mo Hua nodded, "It's alright."

The boat captain nodded, "You're a good lad." Just then, a gust of sandy wind swept by, and the boat captain coughed a few times, spitting out the sand from his mouth.

After a moment's thought, Mo Hua asked, "Captain, are there formations on this boat?"

The boat captain replied, "Of course. What sand boat doesn't have formations? Without them, how could this vessel even operate?"

Mo Hua then inquired, "Who inscribed these formations?"

The boat captain looked somewhat puzzled. "Why do you ask about that?"

Mo Hua replied candidly, "Just curious, casually asking."

The boat captain scrutinized Mo Hua, noting his bronze skin, slender frame, yet bright eyes and amiable demeanor. Finding it hard to feel suspicious, he nodded and said, "These formations are all inscribed by the formation masters from the shipping guild."

Mo Hua pressed, "Do you know what kind of formations they inscribe?"

The boat captain shook his head. "How would I know? The guild forbids us from asking questions or making any alterations ourselves. We just use whatever they provide. And frankly, these formations are nothing but a 'money pit.'"

"A money pit?"

The boat captain sighed. "The formations on these sand boats alone cost a significant amount of spirit stones for annual maintenance. If something goes wrong and they need to be re-inscribed, it's a huge expense, practically wiping out a year's earnings."

"That stringent?"

The boat captain nodded. "And you can't complain, otherwise, the guild won't inscribe the formations for you, and you'll lose your qualification to operate a sand boat business, effectively losing your livelihood."

Mo Hua's brow furrowed slightly. If his assumption was correct, these formations had been developed by local formation masters in Lizhou through generations of research and continuous improvement, designed to enable cultivators to traverse the sand sea and earn a living in this region. However, these formations, which embodied the painstaking efforts of past formation masters and were originally intended to benefit cultivators, were now monopolized by powerful families and guilds, used instead to exploit lower-tier cultivators for profit. Mo Hua's expression turned slightly grim, lost in thought.

Before this, he had been single-mindedly focused on researching and developing formations, comprehending the Heavenly Dao, and benefiting all living beings. But now it seemed that simply developing formations might not be sufficient. Ultimately, the crucial factor was who the formations served. Otherwise, the higher the level of formation research, the more formidable the resulting barriers would become, leading to even harsher exploitation of ordinary cultivators. Similarly, such barriers were almost insurmountable for low-level rogue cultivators—

Mo Hua's brows furrowed deeper. The more he experienced the world firsthand, the more Mo Hua understood its complexity, and how much more difficult problem-solving truly was than he had previously imagined.

At that moment, a voice broke his thoughts: "Young man—" Mo Hua started slightly, turned his head, and the boat captain asked, "What are you thinking about?" Mo Hua snapped back to reality and smiled, "Nothing, just feeling a little sleepy—"

The boat captain's tone turned serious as he cautioned Mo Hua: "These days have indeed been strenuous, but that's the nature of being on the road. You must stay vigilant and never let yourself succumb to drowsiness, or a single moment of carelessness could cost you your life—"

Mo Hua, recognizing the captain's good intentions, smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Captain, I'll remember that." The boat captain gave a slight nod.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "By the way, Captain, I heard there's—conflict in the Great Barrens?"

The boat captain sighed, "Yes, conflict has erupted, and it's far more intense than any before."

Mo Hua was surprised. "It happened before?"

The boat captain nodded. "The Great Barrens is a wild and underdeveloped place, always plagued by unrest. For centuries, there haven't been large-scale wars, but minor skirmishes have been constant. It's just now..." The boat captain's expression grew solemn. "This time, it might be truly serious—"

Mo Hua frowned, asking, "What's the current state of the fighting?"

The boat captain shook his head. "How would I know? I'm just an old man plying the sand sea, earning a living. How could I possibly inquire about such significant matters? However—" The boat captain pondered for a moment, then slowly continued: "I did overhear some passing boat passengers chatting. They said this Great Barrens uprising is grander than any before, with even demonic soldiers riding King Tigers being deployed, shouting slogans like 'The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise'—"

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively touched his storage ring. Inside his storage ring, he still kept the dragon banner inscribed with "The Azure Heaven is dead, the Barren Heaven shall rise." The boat captain, oblivious to Mo Hua's reaction, continued: "...These people are truly audacious. But I heard that the barbarian army is now immense and formidable, having already breached several fortified passes. The Dao Court, caught unprepared, suffered a complete rout—of course, this is all just hearsay, I don't know if it's true or false. These days, people's words are frivolous; they believe every rumor. It's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood."

Mo Hua frowned and asked, "Doesn't that make Desert City unsafe?"

The boat captain replied, "No, it won't be."

Mo Hua looked perplexed.

The boat captain explained, "While the situation is indeed chaotic, it's not possible for everything to fall into disarray. At least Desert City won't. It's the only fourth-grade immortal city within thousands of li in this region, situated within the sand sea at the border of Lizhou and the Great Barrens. Its location is highly strategic. It can be considered a vital 'pass' established by the Dao Court. Furthermore, Desert City is the territory of the Great Barrens Sect. And the Great Barrens Sect is a powerful fourth-grade sect."

Mo Hua was somewhat surprised. "Desert City is the Great Barrens Sect's territory?" Tongxian City was located north of Lizhou, near Kanzhou. Mo Hua had resided in Tongxian City for many years, thus he had limited knowledge of the various sect territories south of Lizhou, bordering the Great Barrens. The boat captain, seeing Mo Hua's seemingly "uninformed" expression, wasn't surprised. It was quite normal for a young man wandering far from home to be less knowledgeable.

The boat captain explained, "The land south of Lizhou is called the Great Barrens. The Great Barrens Sect bears the very name 'Great Barrens,' which should tell you its origins are anything but minor."

"The Great Barrens Sect—what is its origin?" Mo Hua asked.

The boat captain, who had sailed for years, had a wealth of "miscellaneous knowledge" and enjoyed idle chatter. Now that Mo Hua had asked, his spirits for conversation were piqued. He pulled out his flask, took a swig of cheap liquor to clear his throat, and began to recount: "Originally, there was no Great Barrens Sect in the region known as the Great Barrens. Thousands of years ago—I've forgotten the exact number of years—the Great Barrens rebelled, declared their own imperial court, and openly defied the Dao Court. The Dao Court dispatched its soldiers to suppress the Great Barrens. That war dragged on for a long time, likely several centuries, before it was finally quelled. Following that, the Great Barrens' imperial rule was overthrown, and the rebel forces were suppressed."

"To strengthen its control over the Great Barrens, the Dao Court forcibly established a sect 'directly under its jurisdiction' in the region. This sect was even explicitly named 'Great Barrens,' its purpose being to assert dominance over the surviving imperial family and numerous Great Barrens princes and marquises. Of course, another theory suggests it was established to suppress the 'fortune' of the Great Barrens. 'Your Great Barrens imperial family's ancestral lands, where you have lived for generations, are now merely the territory of a sect under our Dao Court.' With this, what right do you have to still proclaim yourselves 'emperors'? For all these years, the Great Barrens Sect has stood guard across the various prefectures and barbarian territories of the Great Barrens. Many areas even have branch sects of the Great Barrens Sect established. The fourth-grade Desert City is the largest territory under its jurisdiction, apart from Great Barrens City, where the main sect is located."

Mo Hua asked, "The Great Barrens Sect, with such a history, is only fourth-grade?"

The boat captain shot Mo Hua a disapproving look: "What do you mean 'only' fourth-grade? Such a grand tone, looking down on even fourth-grade sects—do you think you're a prodigy from a top-tier fifth-grade sect?"

Mo Hua remained silent.

The boat captain then elaborated: "You're still young; there are things you don't understand. Ranking in the cultivation world isn't as simple as counting one, two, three, four, five on your fingers. 'It's lonely at the top.' Especially for sects, reaching the fifth-grade carries an entirely different meaning; the authority granted is immense. The Dao Court would never truly bestow a fifth-grade rank upon the Great Barrens Sect. In these times, you're lucky if the Dao Court doesn't demote your current rank; it's almost impossible to expect a promotion to fifth-grade. Furthermore, it's like the saying goes: 'one radish, one pit.' If there's no pit available for you, merely growing tall is useless. Also, you must understand that a fifth-grade sect near Daozhou or in certain major prefectures is a completely different concept from a hypothetical fifth-grade sect in the remote Great Barrens, where imperial oversight is distant. If the Great Barrens Sect were truly granted fifth-grade, it would be akin to creating an 'ungovernable behemoth' right here in the Great Barrens. That's why, all these years, the Great Barrens Sect has remained a fourth-grade power. However, this is a formidable fourth-grade sect from the borderlands, possessing significant influence and strength—"

The boat captain spoke freely and volubly, holding nothing back. Mo Hua's heart stirred.

"The Great Barrens Sect…" He recalled that his childhood playmates, Dahu and the other two, had joined the Great Barrens Sect. He had never realized how formidable the Great Barrens Sect truly was. So, when he reached Desert City, would he possibly encounter Dahu and his two companions?