Chapter 1109: Big Locust Tree

Mohua walked alone through the streets of Tongxian City.

People bustled around, market districts lined both sides, traffic flowed like water, and the clamor was ceaseless. Though it had only been ten years since he was last here, Tongxian City had undergone tremendous changes. While it naturally couldn't compare to a major prefecture like the fifth-rank Qianxue Prefecture, it was already considered one of the most prosperous among second-rank prefectures. Many buildings had been rebuilt, most streets had changed, and the houses were new, with many exquisite eave and wall designs.

Mohua found everything very unfamiliar and could only release his spiritual awareness, relying on memory to vaguely find his way home. After walking for an unknown period, Mohua arrived in front of a small courtyard and looked up. In the entire "prosperous" Tongxian City, this was the least bustling, arguably the most unadorned courtyard. It was as simple and unadorned as it was in Mohua's memory.

Outside the house, a courtyard had been extended, surrounded by a fence. Inside, a few Eight Immortals tables with chipped corners were placed, with wooden stools set in front of them. A sign hung by the door, and the words "Liu Ji Eatery" swayed in the wind. This was the eatery his mother ran, and Mohua's home. A warm current seemed to flow through Mohua's heart in that instant.

He lightened his steps and slowly walked into his home. It wasn't mealtime, so there were no customers in the courtyard, and it was very quiet. Only in front of the counter, a familiar and kind, yet hazy and somewhat unfamiliar female figure was tidying things up. Mohua's eyes moistened slightly, and he said in a clear, gentle voice:

"Proprietress, I'd like a bowl of beef noodles."

"Alright, please wait a moment..." The woman's voice was gentle as water, but halfway through her sentence, she suddenly paused, finding the customer's voice familiar. She couldn't help but turn her head and saw a youth whose complexion was as fair as jade and whose demeanor was as gentle as a clear breeze. This youth was somewhat unfamiliar, yet there was a profound, blood-deep familiarity about him. Especially that picture-perfect face—as a mother, she had dreamt of it countless times and worried about it endlessly.

She feared he might be hungry, or thin, or living a harsh life exposed to the elements. She feared he might be bullied, or scorned, or that she would never know when he would return. Most of all, she feared he might never come back, that she might never see her child again. Tears unconsciously blurred her eyes.

Liu Ruhua's voice trembled, "Hua... Huar?"

Mohua felt a pang in his heart and revealed a gentle smile. "Mother... I'm home..."

Liu Ruhua's heart trembled, and tears brimmed in her eyes.

In the courtyard of his childhood, the table was laden with chicken, duck, fish, and meat, various pastries, and sweet fermented rice wine—all of which were Mohua's favorite foods from childhood. Mohua had already experienced a great deal. At the Taixu Sect, especially during the New Year's feast at the Gu family, he had tasted many rare delicacies. Yet, he always felt that only his mother's cooking was the most delicious. This was partly because Liu Ruhua was an excellent cook whose dishes were inherently delicious, and partly because these meals contained a unique thoughtfulness found nowhere else in the world. This was also a taste Mohua hadn't experienced in ten years. His heart felt warm, and he ate with great relish.

Liu Ruhua sat beside him, gazing intently at Mohua. Her son had grown up and grown taller. Although his face still held a hint of youthful innocence, he had been transformed, acquiring a handsome appearance and temperament like white jade, a bright moon, or a clear spring. His gaze was clear yet profound. Cultivators in Tongxian City often said her child was a "celestial child" descended to the mortal realm. But now, this descended "celestial child" had grown into a youth with an immortal bearing and daoist bones.

Liu Ruhua looked at Mohua, her heart filled with both joy and lingering fear. She feared this was all just another dream, just like before. Once she woke from the dream, Huar would be gone again. Her beloved child, whom she constantly worried about, would be somewhere unknown, cultivating diligently, painstakingly seeking the Dao, and enduring dangerous perils and murderous intent. She could do nothing but worry. Therefore, Liu Ruhua dared not blink, her gentle eyes remaining fixed on Mohua. Even if this was just a dream, she wanted to gaze at her child a few more times within it, to see what he truly looked like now that he had grown up.

And so, she watched for a long time, until dusk gradually fell, and the fiery red sunset glow illuminated the courtyard, spreading across the ground. Liu Ruhua came back to her senses and found Mohua's figure still there. This was not a dream; her son had truly come home. Liu Ruhua's face broke into a genuine smile, and her heart was filled with overwhelming joy.

Mother and son sat in the courtyard, chatting about trivial matters and interesting anecdotes from his studies in Qian Prefecture. The sun had set when footsteps were heard from outside the courtyard, and a deep male voice rang out: "Why are you closing at this hour? Did a guest arrive...?"

Moshan, carrying a storage bag filled with demon beast bones and meat, walked into the courtyard and looked up to see Mohua feasting. Moshan was momentarily dazed, and for a fleeting moment, he too thought he was dreaming. The surrounding scenery became hazy and somewhat unreal. After he settled his mind, clearly saw his surroundings, and looked at Mohua again, knowing it was all real, Moshan's face immediately lit up with joy. But being a steady person and not very expressive, he merely nodded at Mohua and said: "You're back?"

Mohua smiled, nodded, and said, "Mm."

Moshan let out a sigh of relief, as if the burden on his shoulders and the worries in his heart had lightened considerably, and he involuntarily smiled. Afterward, the family of three gathered around to eat in the courtyard. This scene was just like when Mohua was a child. However, the Mohua of today was no longer that minor rogue cultivator with ordinary spiritual roots and low cultivation, who could only draw a few array patterns.

"I sent letters back every year, Father, Mother, didn't you receive them?" Mohua asked while eating beef and drinking fruit wine.

"We received them. Your mother kept them carefully and would take them out to look at them whenever she had nothing to do..." Moshan said.

"Then why didn't you write back?" Mohua asked. At Taixu Sect, he had written home every year and waited for a reply every year, but he hadn't received a single one.

Moshan paused slightly, and sighed softly, "Your mother... didn't want us to reply..."

Mohua was startled. "Why?" Mohua looked at his mother, Liu Ruhua.

Liu Ruhua's eyes showed a hint of relief and a touch of melancholy as she said softly: "You were able to enter a major sect in Qian Prefecture to cultivate, and your future prospects are limitless. If, in the future, you can secure a distinguished background, then you wouldn't need to bother with us. Your father and I... don't want to hold you back..."

A rogue cultivator background is somewhat ignoble. Many talented rogue cultivators, after gaining prospects, would change their names and origins, completely transforming themselves to "cut ties" with their ignoble past and pursue great success. This is because true aristocratic family disciples often felt disdain for rogue cultivators. Much discrimination was not openly spoken, but was deeply rooted in their hearts. In the future, if there were marriage discussions, the words "rogue cultivator" would undoubtedly be equivalent to "peasant," denoting a low and humble origin, making one very unwelcome. And if one were to marry into an aristocratic family, then naturally, they would also need to completely sever ties with this background. It was precisely because of these concerns that Liu Ruhua endured the pain of longing and was unwilling to write letters to Mohua. She didn't want to drag Mohua down.

Mohua was deeply moved, yet also felt a pang of bitterness. He sighed softly and said: "Father, Mother, rest assured. I have excellent relations within the sect; everyone calls me 'Junior Senior Brother.' Outside the sect..." Mohua's gaze was proud. "Even with countless geniuses, I've always been the one looking down on others; no one dares to look down on me. The Four Sects, Eight Gates, Twelve Streams—the geniuses of Qianxue are as numerous as a forest, but in front of me, not a single one can hold their head high..."

Mohua's expression was resolute, even carrying an arrogance that looked down on the world. Moshan and Liu Ruhua's mouths dropped open, their expressions a little shocked. They hadn't expected that their child, after studying and wandering in a major prefecture, had actually learned to brag. Yet, when he was a child, he had been so honest and humble. If he had simply said his talent was good and he had good social skills, Liu Ruhua and her husband wouldn't have been surprised. After all, Mohua had been fair-skinned and adorable since childhood, loved by everyone; in Tongxian City, no one didn't speak highly of him. But to claim that all the geniuses of Qianxue couldn't hold their heads high... that was truly an outrageous boast.

Qianxue Prefecture, that was a fifth-rank major prefecture. What kind of cultivation level must cultivators in a fifth-rank prefecture possess? How high were the echelons of aristocratic families and sects? How good must the spiritual roots of their disciples be, and how astonishing their talent? It would probably take a true immortal descending to the mortal realm to be able to suppress them... Liu Ruhua looked at Mohua, her expression somewhat complex. She felt relieved that Mohua had this kind of "confident" demeanor and arrogance. She also knew that Mohua said such boastful words to comfort them, and she was moved. But at the same time, she was deeply worried: "This child, after studying abroad for so many years, I wonder what he actually learned. He couldn't have just learned to brag, could he...?"

Liu Ruhua and Moshan exchanged glances. Moshan was also a little worried, so he cautiously asked in a low voice, "Huar, what is your current cultivation level...?"

Mohua casually replied, "Late Foundation Establishment."

"Foundation Establishment... Late stage..." Moshan and his wife were visibly shaken.

Daheishan Prefecture was a second-rank prefecture, and the highest cultivation level among cultivators in Tongxian City within it was only Foundation Establishment. In a second-rank prefecture, this was considered peak cultivation. And because Tongxian City was a small place, even the highest cultivated member, Old Ancestor Qian of the Qian family, was only at the Mid Foundation Establishment stage. Although Tongxian City had developed rapidly in the past ten years, with more people breaking through to Foundation Establishment and attracting many external Foundation Establishment cultivators to settle there, Late Foundation Establishment cultivators were still extremely rare. The few that existed were all from outside. And now, their son, Mohua, after ten years of study, had directly advanced from Early Foundation Establishment to Late Foundation Establishment. This kind of cultivation speed was simply unbelievable in their eyes.

Liu Ruhua glanced at her husband Moshan, then hesitated to speak. Moshan released his spiritual awareness, sensing Mohua's vast, profound, yet unfathomable cultivation, and nodded with a serious expression. Moshan couldn't perceive Mohua's exact cultivation level, but that profound aura meant his cultivation absolutely couldn't be low. Based on his many years of hunting demon beasts, the keen sense of smell he had developed, and his extensive experience in discerning people, he was probably not wrong. Realizing this, Moshan's heart was somewhat awestruck. Ten years, Late Foundation Establishment. Was this the true heritage of a major prefecture, a major sect...?

In Tongxian City, let alone advancing from Early Foundation Establishment to Late Foundation Establishment, even cultivating from the first layer of Qi Condensation to the ninth layer within ten years would be considered an incredible genius. Up until this point, Moshan's certainty about Mohua becoming a disciple of a major sect in a fifth-rank prefecture truly gained some firmness. Before this, although he believed it, he would occasionally doubt himself and couldn't quite bring himself to fully believe it. After all, that was a fifth-rank prefecture, and the disparity with Tongxian City was simply too great. To enter a fifth-rank sect from a second-rank territory was nothing short of ascending to heaven in a single step.

But now it was different; no matter what, Mohua's cultivation was truly solid. Nothing was more convincing than a cultivator's cultivation. Although words like "The Four Sects, Eight Gates, Twelve Streams—the geniuses of Qianxue are as numerous as a forest, but in front of me, not a single one can hold their head high" definitely contained some boasting, Moshan no longer cared. After all, having only spent ten years to cultivate to Late Foundation Establishment, with that realm and cultivation, even if he boasted excessively, no one would question it. Moshan let out a long sigh of relief and felt proud because of Mohua's cultivation. What he didn't know was that Mohua's cultivation was actually the least praiseworthy aspect of his time in the Taixu Sect. Not only was it not praiseworthy, but it was actually the most lagging behind... Among the Taixu Sect disciples, finding someone with a lower cultivation level than Mohua was as difficult as finding someone stronger than Mohua in array formations.

Liu Ruhua, on the other side, felt both joy and a pang of heartache. Cultivating to Late Foundation Establishment in ten years, one could tell without thinking that Mohua's cultivation in the sect must have been extremely diligent. She didn't know how much hardship and suffering he had endured to achieve his current cultivation and strength. As soon as she thought of this, Liu Ruhua inexplicably felt that Mohua had grown thin, and she said gently: "Tell Mother whatever you want to eat. Mother will cook it for you, to nourish you well."

Mohua nodded and smiled, "Mm."

Afterward, the family of three ate in joyful harmony. Mohua also took the opportunity to ask about matters in Tongxian City. Moshan simply said that everything was well. "The demon hunting business has long been on track, the artifact refining and alchemy businesses also earn a lot of spirit stones, the entire Tongxian City has been revitalized, and many houses have also been rebuilt..."

Mohua was a little surprised. "Then our house wasn't rebuilt?"

Moshan smiled. "Your mother couldn't bear to..."

"Couldn't bear to?"

"Yes," Moshan nodded. "Your mother said this is where you grew up, and she couldn't bear to tear it down. You're away seeking the Dao and cultivating, and not at home. When she looks at this courtyard, she can imagine you as a child, running around in it. And when you were little, learning movement techniques and stealth, and always asking her if she could see you..."

Liu Ruhua's face flushed slightly, but her expression was nostalgic. Mohua also felt a warmth in his heart and asked his mother: "Is this eatery still busy?"

Liu Ruhua shook her head. "The catering business mainly relies on the restaurant, which brings in a modest income. And your Aunt Jiang and others manage it; I only research recipes. I specifically kept this eatery as a memento. On weekdays, there aren't many customers. Most are old acquaintances like Elder Yu, who come over to drink and chat, so it's not very busy."

Mohua nodded, only then feeling relieved. He then turned his head, taking in the entire small courtyard, his heart filled with a mix of melancholy and warmth. Suddenly, Mohua's expression froze as he noticed something he had overlooked since coming home. Mohua pointed to a large pagoda tree in front of the small courtyard and said with some disbelief: "Mother, where did this large pagoda tree come from?"

Liu Ruhua looked in the direction of his voice, recalled for a moment, and slowly said: "I remember it was... the second year after you left home to study in Qian Prefecture, there was a strange guest who came to the eatery to eat..."

"A strange guest?"

"Yes," Liu Ruhua described, "He was an old gentleman with a wooden, unfamiliar face and little expression. He came to the eatery, ordered a table full of dishes and wine, and many pine nuts. But strangely, he didn't touch the dishes and wine on the table but kept cracking pine nuts for a very, very long time. He neither spoke nor showed any expression, but looking at his back, there was an inexplicable... loneliness. After finishing the pine nuts, he left. The next day, a pagoda tree grew where he had sat. It grew bigger and faster, and within a few days, it had become a large tree with lush branches and leaves. Elder Yu and the others said this tree was a bit ominous and suggested we either cut it down or move house. I didn't agree. I always felt that this big tree seemed to have a spirit and could shelter us from wind and rain. Every time I sat under it, I felt very at ease..."

Mohua turned his head, gazing blankly at the large pagoda tree, its dense, lush, canopy-like branches covering the entire small courtyard. He was both moved and grateful, and murmured in his heart: "Grandpa Kui..."

As night fell, in the small room, with a bed and a table, the furnishings were simple and neat. A warm yellow candlelight flickered in the room. Mohua sat at the table, his expression nostalgic. This was his childhood bedroom. Once, he would lean over this small table to read, cultivate, study the Dao, and practice the array formations his master taught. The Bright Fire Array in the lamp was the first array formation he learned. Everything began with a Bright Fire Array.

Now, he still leaned over this table to read, cultivate, and study array formations. It's just that the books he now read and the array formations he now studied were far more profound than what that "little array master" had learned back then. Mohua's heart was filled with emotion. After a moment, he calmed down and routinely studied array formations. After studying array formations for a while, Mohua took out paper and brush to plan his future cultivation. "Preparation ensures success, while lack of preparation leads to failure." This was something his father, Moshan, had taught him when he was little. He had always kept it in mind, and for anything he encountered, he would plan, deduce, and prepare for it in advance.

Next, the thing he had to do, and the most important thing, was to form his Core! Spiritual power crystallizes, and the qi sea condenses into a core. This was truly the first major threshold on a cultivator's path. It was also an opportunity for low-level cultivators to step into the middle ranks of the cultivation world, achieving a leap in status.

In a second-rank prefecture, the Golden Core was a legend. In a third-rank prefecture, the Golden Core was an Old Ancestor. In a fourth-rank prefecture, the Golden Core was a high-ranking figure. Even in a fifth-rank prefecture, the Golden Core was the backbone of major aristocratic families and sects, qualified to be honored as guest elders, or even regular elders. Once a cultivator formed their Core, not only did their realm increase and cultivation deepen, but their lifespan also greatly increased. And the path Mohua walked was the path of Dao certification through divine sense. Once he formed his Core, his already powerful divine sense could also undergo a deeper transformation through the ancient and profound Heaven's Derivation Art.

"Golden Core..." Mohua's eyes, reflecting the bright firelight, appeared bright and spirited.