The matter with the Big Demon was precisely an opportunity.
Elder Yu turned his head and glanced at the empty Refinery Shop and the Alchemist’s Business, feeling a sudden sense of unreality.
All of it, like a dream.
Taking over the Spiritual mines, building the Refinery Shops and Alchemist’s Business, enriching the lives of the Loose Cultivators, it all seemed like a dream.
```
The eradication of Black Mountain Stronghold, the threat of the evil cultivators, and even digging out the roots to extract the Patriarch of the Qian Family to completely eliminate a major concern, was yet another dream.
Everything had been moving in a positive direction, and their days could have gotten better and better...
But now, it all turned into nothing more than a dream.
It was like waking up from a dream.
Once awakened, they would have to leave their hometown, and Tongxian City might no longer exist.
Elder Yu sighed deeply, his expression filled with bitterness.
The life of a loose cultivator is tough...
Those loose cultivators didn’t even dare to hope for longevity, they just wanted to live a good life, peacefully for a hundred or two hundred years. Why was that so difficult to achieve?
...
Mo Hua took another walk around, saw a circle of acquaintances, and after returning home, sat in the courtyard in silence.
Everyone was about to leave.
Elder Yu, his uncles Yu Chengyi and Yu Chengwu, as well as other familiar monster hunter uncles and uncles;
Uncle Ji’s family, Uncle Meng’s family, Uncle Chu’s family;
Master Chen from the Refinery Shop, who had no children, would also move with them,
Old Mr. Feng, advanced in years and highly respected, who had saved people with his alchemy for years, had many people thankful for his kindness and naturally had other options;
But he was concerned that the loose cultivators would face hazards like poison and injuries without a pill master to care for them on their relocation, so he decided to go with them as well. No one could persuade him otherwise, nor did anyone dare to try;
Da’hu, who had grown up with Mo Hua, and Dazhu, who had fought alongside Mo Hua, and Daping, who he knew well, were also leaving with their parents...
His parents would probably accompany him, but the others, the people Mo Hua was familiar with;
Those who grew up with Mo Hua or watched him grow up;
Those who Mo Hua had helped and who had also protected him.
They would all leave Tongxian City and embark on an unknown path, moving to a strange place, beginning anew amidst hardships.
Perhaps they would face the elements, suffer from cold and hunger, or face oppression from unknown clans, sects, or even the Taoist Court.
And he would most likely not join them.
He would be on a completely different path.
Mo Hua pondered silently.
Without any bottlenecks in divine sense and with plenty of spirit stones, he would be able to start the Foundation Establishment soon.
He could choose to join a clan or a sect, or even the Taoist Court or the Taoist soldiers Court, and cultivate steadily until he reached Foundation Establishment. Then he could look forward to achieving Golden Core, step by step learning higher formation techniques and seeking even loftier realms...
The road ahead for a loose cultivator was full of thorns, yet his own path was paved with flowers.
...
But was this truly what he wanted?
Mo Hua couldn’t help but question himself again.
Why did he learn formation techniques in the first place?
He changed some things, but in the end, it seemed as though nothing had changed.
In the face of disaster, he could save himself this time, but what about the next time?
Each time he faced difficulties, would he continue to only save himself?
"If this continues, will I become numb and indifferent?"
"Will I forget my original intention, lose my true self, obliterate my Taoist heart, and become entirely selfish and self-serving?"
Could such a person truly achieve immortality? Could he really seek the Tao?
Could he truly understand the essence of formations and comprehend the ultimate Great Dao?
If he lost his Taoist heart, even if he achieved success and fame, could he attain true immortality?
Mo Hua couldn’t make sense of it so he lay in the courtyard, looking up at the sky.
"What is my Taoist heart?"
"What is the Tao I seek?"
"What should I do?"
...
The sky was vast and the horizon boundless, as if it contained infinite vitality and reason.
If there is a Tao, the sky is its manifestation.
If there is a Large Formation, then the Heavenly Dao Formation is the ultimate Large Formation.
And this is what a Formation Master should pursue!
Mo Hua’s eyes gradually brightened.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
"I may not be able to lay down such a heaven-reaching, earth-penetrating Large Formation, using the Heavenly Dao Laws to balance the cultivators of the world, allowing the cultivation world to flourish endlessly."
"So, I will start with the simplest first-grade Large Formation, figure out how to learn it, and lay down the first first-grade Large Formation. I will eliminate a local Taoist demon and protect the peace of an Immortal City!"
Mo Hua suddenly felt enlightened, his expression grew resolute, and his gaze shone like the stars.
He lay in the courtyard, reaching towards the sky.
His small palm seemed to grasp the entire firmament itself.
```