The old master took a deep breath and then said in a trembling voice:
"This is... a Second-Grade High-Rank Formation. Many large sand ships at the ship line don’t have as good a Formation as yours. Care for it well, and barring any accidents, it should secure your livelihood for fifty to sixty years."
The Ship Boss shuddered, momentarily stunned.
He tried to recall Mo Hua’s appearance in his mind, but for some reason, Mo Hua’s face had become somewhat blurry, and he couldn’t even clearly remember what words that young brother had spoken to him or what matters they had discussed...
"This... indeed must be a meeting with a master..." the Ship Boss mumbled, deeply moved.
"What?" the old master asked.
The Ship Boss shook his head, "Nothing."
The old master said nothing further, only advised:
"Let this matter die with us; don’t speak of it recklessly. Otherwise, you understand the proverb of having a precious object and incurring a crime..."
The Ship Boss quickly replied, "Yes, thank you very much, Master."
The old master nodded, gave a few more reminders, and then left.
The Ship Boss stayed there, staring at the profound and distinct Formation on the ship, lost in thought for a long time.
In the evening, the Ship Boss made a special trip to a tavern.
This time he broke tradition and bought half a bottle of good wine, walked to the edge of the Sand Sea, and looking at the vast desert, he poured the good wine, which he normally couldn’t bear to drink, into the Sand Sea, murmuring and sighing:
"Young brother, your great kindness and virtue cannot be repaid."
"With this humble wine, I wish you henceforth... smooth sailing..."
The Ship Boss, who had never known him before, sent his distant blessings.
...
Meanwhile, the "young brother" blessed by the Ship Boss was diligently working odd jobs in Great Desert City.
Since the sand ship docked, Mo Hua had hidden himself, leaving quietly once it moored.
Afterward, he seized an opportunity to sneak into Great Desert City.
But Great Desert City, truly a Fourth-Grade Immortal City, was indeed immense.
Moreover, being on the edge of the Great Wilderness, it was the only Great Immortal City for thousands of miles around, with taller walls, larger land area, and an endless view of palaces and pavilions in the style of the Great Wilderness.
This was completely different from the Qian Learning State Boundary.
The Qian Learning State Boundary, despite being a Fifth-Grade State Realm, housed too many Great Families and Great Sects, with very tight land use. Thus, though the Immortal City within the state boundary was delicately built, it was not large, far less "lavish" and "extravagant" than Great Desert City.
For this reason, Great Desert City truly resembled a "vast desert," boundless and overwhelming.
Looking for a Big Tiger in Great Desert City was as futile as searching for a needle in a haystack.
Concurrently, Mo Hua wondered at heart, whether this Great Desert City, being an Immortal City where cultivators gather, would indeed allow Monster Beasts to enter? Especially a powerful Tiger Demon?
Aside from the matter of the Big Tiger, Mo Hua had thought about asking the Great Wilderness Sect if he could find Da’hu and the others.
However, upon considering it, he dismissed the idea.
His current identity was special, his Life Chart fierce. Associating with Da’hu and the others might bring them trouble.
Moreover, Da’hu and the rest, being of humble birth, were likely struggling in the Great Wilderness Sect as well.
Mo Hua could only continue his disguise and remain undercover in Great Desert City to gather information.
To find clues about the Big Tiger while also discreetly investigating the situation between the Taoist Court and the Great Wilderness, including the battles between the Taoist Soldiers and Great Wilderness Barbarian Soldiers.
As such, a few days later, Mo Hua gained some understanding of the current state of war in the Great Wilderness.
And he also found a clue about the Big Tiger:
"Demon Fighting Arena."
It seemed that within Great Desert City, there existed a massive Underground Demon Fighting Arena.