Mo Hua found a clean spot, sat down cross-legged, and began to ponder.
The only place he had seen an Evil Formation was at the Black Mountain Stronghold.
The perimeter of the Black Mountain Stronghold was protected by a standard Five Elements Formation, not an Evil Formation.
The Five Elements Formation, aligning with the Heavenly Dao Laws, was an orthodox formation, while the aura of an Evil Formation was corrupt. If laid out in excess, it could not be entirely concealed, even with a Concealment Formation.
Therefore, the third Householder only set up some Evil Formations in the most secret blood-colored Pill Room at the back of the stronghold.
One was the Bronze Beast Gate, and the other was the White Bone Pill Furnace.
The Evil Formation of the Bronze Beast Gate served to guard the door, while the Evil Formation within the White Bone Pill Furnace was used for Alchemy.
The third Householder surely wouldn’t have delved into studying such an Evil Formation only to guard a door.
If that was the case, then it had to be for Alchemy.
To refine Pills of an evil path, naturally, one would need an evil Pill Furnace; and to create an evil Pill Furnace, one naturally required an Evil Formation.
The Evil Formation that the third Householder was painting was very likely intended for pill refining.
But what kind of Pills?
Human Life Pills?
At this point in time, was he still thinking of refining Human Life Pills?
Was the third Householder that "dedicated"?
With the Black Mountain Stronghold collapsed and the Camp Leader on the run, would he still be earnestly studying an Evil Formation, ready to refine Pills for clinging to life?
Unlikely…
Mo Hua felt something was amiss, but for a moment, he could not grasp a clue.
"Should I ask Mr. Zhuang?"
After contemplating, Mo Hua shook his head.
If he brought this Formation to his mentor, Mr. Zhuang might suspect he wanted to learn an Evil Formation.
Moreover, as Mr. Zhuang valued purity, Mo Hua didn’t want to disturb his mentor’s serene cultivation with such a tainted Formation.
Besides, Mr. Zhuang was probably about to leave; from now on, he would have to rely on himself for everything.
With this thought, Mo Hua felt somewhat downhearted.
Mr. Zhuang was going to leave, huh…
He wondered if he would ever see his mentor again.
Mo Hua’s mood dipped for a while before he snapped out of it and perked up again, continuing to think things through.
If he couldn’t start with the Evil Formation, looking for clues in Pills would also suffice.
Mo Hua took out paper and pen, sketched a rough drawing of the White Bone Pill Furnace, the blood-colored Pill Room, and some strange herbs from the third Householder’s Storage Bag, all of which he put down on paper.
Mo Hua went to the Alchemist’s Business in the southern part of the city and showed these to Old Mr. Feng.
Old Mr. Feng’s face changed drastically, he exclaimed, "These are…"
"Pills refined by Evil Cultivators!"
Mo Hua recounted the whole story, including everything about Black Mountain Stronghold and the third Householder, as well as his own suspicions:
"Could they be refining some other Pills?"
Old Mr. Feng took a breath, pondered for a moment, and then said:
"It’s possible, these unusual herbs look similar but have different medicinal properties. They don’t seem to be for refining the same batch of Pills…"
Mo Hua eagerly asked, "Do you know what Pills they are?"
This posed a difficulty for Old Mr. Feng.
Old Mr. Feng said tactfully, "I am not an Evil Pill Master…"
Mo Hua sighed, "What a pity…"
Old Mr. Feng glanced at Mo Hua with a bit of annoyance and said:
"So if I were an Evil Pill Master, it wouldn’t be a pity?"
Realizing his blunder, Mo Hua scratched his head and sheepishly smiled.
Old Mr. Feng couldn’t help but laugh and shook his head, "I’ll ask the other Pill Masters in the Alchemist’s Business to help you inquire."
Mo Hua expressed his doubts, "If you don’t know, how could they know?"
Old Mr. Feng smiled gently and said, "Don’t underestimate anyone…"
"The world is full of diversity, and everyone has their own strengths. In this long journey of life, Cultivators live a lifetime; even those who seem ordinary have experiences that others may not have encountered, knowledge that others may not know, and insights that others might not understand."
"How will you know they are not aware if you never ask?"
Mo Hua, seemingly enlightened, nodded his head.
After a while, Old Mr. Feng called over all the Pill Masters from the Alchemist’s Business, a sea of faces filled the room.