Chapter 307: Invitation

Words : 1690 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

At the edge of the foggy forest, Commander Yang had been waiting for a long time and was getting worried. He asked, "Isn't it taking too long?" Zhang Lan thought for a moment and replied, "The foggy forest is completely still, so there shouldn't be any problems." Commander Yang nodded but asked curiously, "Aren't you worried?" "If he were heading into Heishan Stronghold, I'd be a bit concerned. But the foggy forest is so vast, he can escape if needed. Besides, we're here to support him, so there's nothing to worry about." Commander Yang was slightly taken aback. "Has he been to Heishan Stronghold before?" Zhang Lan nodded. "All the information you received was secretly gathered by him sneaking in and eavesdropping." Commander Yang gasped. "Didn't you say that the information was obtained by your Dao Court Department?" "Oh..." Before Commander Yang could finish, he realized, "Zhang Lan, you shamelessly claimed him as part of your Dao Court Department again, didn't you?" Zhang Lan corrected him, "He is a part of the Dao Court Department, even if he's technically an external member." Commander Yang pondered for a moment, then frowned and said, "He gathered the intelligence, he drew the maps, he broke the formations. What did the rest of your Dao Court Department do?" Zhang Lan was at a loss for words. After a moment, he laughed sheepishly, "Well... we reported the intelligence to the Dao Court and brought you here..." But even as he spoke, he felt guilty, and his voice grew softer. Commander Yang looked at him with disdain. "You people are truly impressive..." Zhang Lan sighed, "There's nothing we can do. By the time we knew about it, Mo Hua had already gathered all the information. Moreover..." Zhang Lan looked at Commander Yang seriously and said, "Besides him, no one else could sneak into Heishan Stronghold unnoticed and draw its map." Commander Yang was stunned. On further thought, it seemed true. To achieve such feats, one needed to master concealment techniques, formations, have a strong spiritual sense, and possess courage and wit. Even the most experienced scouts among their Dao soldiers couldn't infiltrate Heishan Stronghold and gather any useful information. Not to mention breaking formations, which wasn't something an average cultivator could master. The more Commander Yang thought about it, the more he admired Mo Hua. This child was indeed talented! Courageous and wise, skilled in concealment and formations... Ɽᴀ₦ŎʙÈs Commander Yang fell silent, contemplating something carefully. Zhang Lan watched him suspiciously, "Are you scheming something?" Commander Yang shook his head expressionlessly, "No." Behind a rock, the two men were bored. Zhang Lan, chewing on a grass stem, imitated Mo Hua by drawing on the ground. But unlike Mo Hua, who drew formations, he drew Commander Yang, making him fat and ugly, getting beaten up and running around. Commander Yang ignored him, focusing entirely on the foggy forest, staying alert for any changes. Several teams of Dao soldiers around were also fully vigilant. After an unknown amount of time, Commander Yang's eyebrows twitched. He noticed someone approaching. He couldn't see them, and his spiritual sense didn't detect them, but he could hear faint footsteps and slight depressions on the ground's pebbles. It felt like someone was walking towards them, step by step. Before long, the person reached his side and revealed themselves under his watchful eyes. Small and handsome, it was Mo Hua. Commander Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Mo Hua smiled brightly, waving a map in his hand. The map showed the forest paths and the locations of the fog formations. "It's done!" Commander Yang took it and, his eyes lighting up, couldn't help but exclaim, "It's fortunate we have you, an array master. Otherwise, we wouldn't have figured out the secrets of this foggy forest." Mo Hua smiled happily. Commander Yang put away the map, looked at Mo Hua, and suddenly showed a very kind, enthusiastic, even somewhat fawning smile. This smile bewildered Mo Hua, as he never thought Commander Yang was such a person. Now he seemed possessed. Zhang Lan also got goosebumps watching. "Little Mo, would you like to see the formations our Dao soldiers use?" Mo Hua was taken aback, "Isn't that classified? Can I look?" Commander Yang nodded eagerly, "Although it's classified, there's no problem if you want to see it." Mo Hua looked at him suspiciously, "Really?" "Really, really!" Zhang Lan also asked, "Really?" Commander Yang snapped, "None of your business. Even if you see it, you won't understand." Zhang Lan retorted disdainfully, "Who cares." With Commander Yang and several teams of Dao soldiers escorting him, Mo Hua returned to Nameless Peak, to the cave where the Dao soldiers were stationed. Commander Yang indeed took out a set of armor and a spear, handing them to Mo Hua, "These are spares. Feel free to look, even take them apart if you want. Just report any damage and send them to the Dao Soldiers Department for repair." "Isn't that a bit much?" Commander Yang waved his hand, "Nothing wrong with it. Armor and weapons are meant to be used, and it's normal for them to get damaged." Hearing this, Mo Hua was relieved. He examined the spear and the armor. Both were First Grade spiritual tools, forged from refined iron. Compared to the demon hunter's iron armor, the refined iron content was higher, the forging technique more unique, and the quality better. "As expected of Dao Court standard spiritual tools..." Mo Hua thought silently. He tried to use some strength to dismantle the armor and see the formations inside but found himself too weak to do so. Mo Hua glanced at Commander Yang. Commander Yang personally helped Mo Hua take apart the armor, revealing the formations inside. However, as the armor was dismantled, the formations inside dimmed and were also damaged. Mo Hua was surprised. Commander Yang explained, "This is a Dao Court inherited formation. To prevent it from being leaked, once the armor is forcibly dismantled, the formation inside will be damaged." So that's how it is... Mo Hua nodded. Although the formation was damaged, the basic array patterns inside were still visible. Mo Hua spread out the armor and began to study the formations inside. The armor contained a metal-based formation. It looked like a First Grade formation but included more than nine array patterns. "Above First Grade formations?" Mo Hua was shocked. Then, he simulated the spiritual power's path in his mind and found that this formation was actually just an ordinary First Grade formation, with only nine effective array patterns. The other patterns were redundant, likely used to prevent the real formation from being leaked, serving as a distraction. Moreover, this wasn't a single array but part of a composite array. Mo Hua thought for a moment and understood. When Dao soldiers fight, a team wears identical armor. The single arrays on the armor combine to form a composite array, enhancing the formation's effect through resonance. The single arrays used by Dao soldiers weren't rare, just ordinary Five Elements metal-based formations. The core was actually the hub of this composite array. The hub coordinated the single arrays based on distance, making different single arrays resonate. This array hub structure was something Mo Hua had never studied before, making him very curious. However, a team of ten Dao soldiers meant this hub connected to ten sets of armor. To study this hub, all ten sets of armor might need to be dismantled. Mo Hua already felt bad dismantling one, let alone ten. After studying it, Mo Hua looked up and asked, "Does this armor need to be sent for repair?" Commander Yang nodded, "Yes." "Can I try repairing it?" Commander Yang was surprised, "You want to repair it?" Mo Hua nodded. Commander Yang thought for a moment and agreed, "Sure, go ahead. It's already broken anyway." Mo Hua took out an array pen and metal spiritual ink from his storage bag and began to repair it, following the array patterns' paths. In no time, Mo Hua finished the repair. Commander Yang reassembled the armor and activated it with spiritual power, stunned to find it fully repaired. "You actually fixed it?" "Just lucky," Mo Hua said shyly. Commander Yang's eyes shone as he looked at Mo Hua, then asked, "Little Mo, what do you think of this formation?" "It's quite ingenious..." Mo Hua said honestly. "Do you want to learn it?" Mo Hua was taken aback, "Can I?" "Of course! But there's a small condition..." Mo Hua couldn't help but ask, "What condition?" "Join the Dao Soldiers Department!" Commander Yang smiled kindly and warmly, "As long as you join the Dao Soldiers Department, you can learn these formations. As many as you want!" Zhang Lan, hearing this, spat, "So that's your plan." Commander Yang snorted, "If he can join the Dao Court Department, why can't he join the Dao Soldiers Department?" "The Dao Soldiers Department is no good place, always fighting." "At least it's better than your Dao Court Department, with its backstabbing and scheming." Zhang Lan sneered, "How good can the Dao Soldiers Department be? It's controlled by noble families. Without background, can anyone really make it there?" "That's the upper ranks. On the battlefield, brothers fight side by side, like family, judged by true ability. Unlike your Dao Court Department, rotten to the core..." "Shut your filthy mouth!" "See, struck a nerve, didn't I?" Commander Yang mocked, then continued, "Besides, background isn't a big deal. You could marry into the Yang family..." Zhang Lan spat again, "Dreaming? Even if he married in, it wouldn't be to your Yang family. My Zhang family hasn't spoken yet." Mo Hua learned the Passing Water Step from the Zhang family. Even if he married in, it would be to the Zhang family. What did the Yang family have? Yang Jiyong's big face?

Chapter 307: Invitation

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