Chapter 1060: Monster
Chapter 1060: Monster
"Are you not going to draw it?" Mr. Tu’s gaze was icy.
Mo Hua firmly replied, "No, I won’t."
"Why not?"
Mo Hua said with righteous indignation, "I am a disciple of Tai Xu Gate, the foremost of the eight great sects, the Qianxue Zhen Dao Champion, and a cultivator of the righteous path. How could I possibly collude with you and draw such an evil array?"
Mr. Tu then said, "Don’t worry, I won’t make you draw an evil array."
Mo Hua sneered, "Is the Blood Sacrifice Array not an evil array?"
"You don’t need to concern yourself with that. The array I’ll have you draw won’t involve human bones, skin, blood, or ink... It won’t contain any evil array patterns. It will be a proper Five Elements Eight Trigrams Array. What do you think?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment but still shook his head. "I said it before, I am a cultivator of the righteous path. I can’t collude with you and help you draw an array."
Seeing Mo Hua’s stubborn expression, Mr. Tu’s gaze intensified. He paced back and forth in front of the prison door before asking in a deep voice, "Have you studied great arrays?"
"I... " Mo Hua hesitated, then coldly snorted, "Of course I have."
Mr. Tu’s gaze was cold and sharp, easily piercing through Mo Hua’s nervousness. He sneered, "Really?"
Mo Hua was speechless.
Mr. Tu, with a persuasive tone, asked, "Do you want to learn?"
Mo Hua tightly pressed his lips, his expression wavering.
Mr. Tu whispered, "This is your first and perhaps only chance to personally participate in the construction of a great array. Such an opportunity is once in a millennium, and even if you stay at Tai Xu Gate and study arrays for a lifetime, you might not have such a chance again."
Constructing a great array is a massive undertaking, involving a significant amount of manpower and resources.
Such projects are only initiated during extraordinary events, such as resisting a powerful enemy or establishing a new sect or noble family.
Otherwise, it’s unlikely for a great array to be commissioned.
Qian Xue Prefecture, though a Fifth Rank Prefecture, has been peaceful for a long time. The hierarchy of noble families and sects has been stable for thousands of years, and no great array has been constructed during this period.
Even if a faction wanted to build a great array, the deep-seated rivalries among the many noble families and sects in Qian Xue Prefecture would make it unlikely for a Tai Xu Gate disciple like Mo Hua to be involved.
Mo Hua was well aware of these circumstances, and his face clearly showed his dilemma.
Mr. Tu noticed this.
He didn’t pressure Mo Hua but sighed slightly, his voice tinged with regret, "I thought you had good potential and wanted to give you this opportunity to advance. If you don’t appreciate it, then so be it..."
With that, Mr. Tu turned to leave.
Seeing Mr. Tu about to leave, Mo Hua clearly became anxious and hastily said, "Mr. Tu..."
Mr. Tu turned around, his gaze indifferent, and looked at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua gritted his teeth and asked, "The Heavenly Wasteland Blood Sacrifice Array... is it an evil array?"
Mr. Tu replied, "As a Zhen Dao Champion, you should understand that the distinction between right and wrong is merely the surface of an array. The underlying principles are the same."
"A righteous array can become an evil one if learned by someone with impure intentions."
"But a righteous and resolute array master can understand the essence of an array, even if it is an evil one."
"A truly talented and insightful person can see the true nature of things, recognizing the right as right and the wrong as wrong. Neither right nor wrong can sway his resolve."
Mr. Tu's words, half-true and half-flattering, made Mo Hua feel that he was the kind of person Mr. Tu described—talented and resolute, capable of seeing through the illusions of the world and maintaining his initial heart.
Mo Hua’s face showed a hint of pride, as if he believed himself to be the kind of person Mr. Tu described.
"Fine, I’ll draw the array for you!" Mo Hua said.
Mr. Tu nodded slightly.
In this world, the more talented someone is, the more likely they are to be arrogant.
The more talented someone is, the more easily they can be tempted.
Especially by the allure of a great array. Any array master with aspirations in array construction would find it impossible to resist.
This was especially true for a genius array master.
"Follow me", Mr. Tu said coolly.
The dungeon door opened, and Mo Hua followed Mr. Tu out of the Great Wasteland Prison, through a complex and eerie underground tunnel, to the other side of the Evil Deity Temple, deep underground, where they arrived at an immense foundation.
Rivers of blood flowed underground, splashing up droplets of crimson.
The air was bone-chilling and filled with the scent of blood.
Three massive cliffs stood side by side.
On these cliffs, numerous floating ladders were suspended. On these ladders, evil array masters, dressed in blood-red robes, held bone pens, dipped in blood ink, and were drawing evil arrays.
This was a grand scene of the construction of an evil array, even more magnificent than when Mo Hua had overseen the construction of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Array.
Mr. Tu led Mo Hua to one of the cliffs.
This cliff was different from the others. The edges were already inscribed with evil arrays, but the center was mostly empty.
The bones used as array media had been replaced with ordinary jade array media.
The blood ink had been replaced with ordinary Five Elements Spirit Ink.
As a former First-Rank Grand Array Master, Mo Hua understood the current situation at a glance.
Mr. Tu’s Blood Sacrifice Array had stalled.
This might be due to the machinations of the Cave Void Elder, the suppression by various factions in Qian Xue Prefecture, the encirclement by Dao Court, and the shortage of evil array masters... all of which had severely hindered the progress of the Blood Sacrifice Array.
As a result, Mr. Tu had to come up with a new plan, a different approach.
His plan was to downgrade and combine the array patterns, using both righteous and evil elements.
With a shortage of manpower, he had to further downgrade the array, using a second-rank array to fill the structure of a near-third-rank array.
Similarly, the "resources" for the Blood Sacrifice Array were definitely insufficient by now.
The Heavenly Wasteland Blood Sacrifice Array required a massive amount of carnage. Only through such carnage could a large number of human skins, bones, flesh, and blood be obtained to serve as the array media for the evil array.
Now, the minions of the evil deity are being suppressed by the various forces of Qianxue Prefecture, unable to carry out large-scale massacres of cultivators.
This means they have no means to obtain more resources for the evil arrays.
A skilled housewife cannot cook a meal without ingredients.
Given the scarcity of resources in the evil path, Mr. Tu had no choice but to temporarily use orthodox array formations as a bridge to facilitate the operation of the core array hub.
Lowering the quality and combining patterns makes the structure unstable. Using both orthodox and evil arrays will also cause conflicts between spiritual and evil energies.
But at least this ensures that the Heavenly Wasteland Blood Sacrifice Array can be completed first.
Completion first, then perfection.
If it’s not completed, everything is just talk.
Mr. Tu, indeed, has lived a long time and is a highly experienced old array master. His approach is practical and correct.
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
If it were him, he would probably have to settle for this as well.
Of course, on the surface, he still appeared bewildered and asked Mr. Tu some "stupid" questions:
"Isn't this a third-rank grand array? Will drawing a second-rank array be useful?"
"Can orthodox arrays and evil arrays be compatible? What if they aren't?"
"With such a large foundation, why are there only a few array masters drawing arrays? What about the others? Were they killed?"
These questions included some basic principles of grand arrays, which it was normal for Mo Hua not to understand. Mr. Tu answered each one.
Some of these questions were intentionally probing, and Mr. Tu pretended not to hear them.
After explaining, Mr. Tu handed Mo Hua a Yu Jian.
The Yu Jian contained the basic structure of the Blood Sacrifice Array, with a large portion of the evil arrays erased and replaced with Five Elements Eight Trigrams arrays. These were specifically left for Mo Hua to draw.
"Draw these arrays on the cliff in front of you; this is your task", Mr. Tu instructed.
Mo Hua glanced at it, his face immediately showing dissatisfaction as he asked Mr. Tu:
"Didn't you say you wanted me to help build the grand array? Drawing these basic arrays isn't just making me do menial work?"
I, the Qianxue Zhen Dao Champion, am being made to do menial work?
Mo Hua's face was filled with displeasure.
Mr. Tu said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. A grand array is built from these basic arrays. Learning grand arrays starts from the basics. Don't aim too high and lose your foundation."
Mo Hua reluctantly nodded, finding some sense in it.
But just as he was about to start, he seemed to remember something and warned:
"That's not right. If I draw these arrays, won't I be helping the demons? If the elders and the old masters find out, I'll definitely be expelled from the sect and won't be able to be a disciple of Tai Xu Gate anymore..."
Mr. Tu replied, "You're not drawing evil arrays, but orthodox arrays. Why would you be expelled from the sect?"
Mo Hua insisted, "But you are demon cultivators, and I'm drawing arrays for you. Isn't that aiding the wicked?"
Mr. Tu slowly corrected him, "You're not drawing arrays for us; you're being coerced to draw arrays for your own survival."
"You are being 'coerced'; it's not your fault."
Mr. Tu emphasized this.
Mo Hua was taken aback, "Really?"
Mr. Tu nodded, "Really."
Mo Hua finally felt reassured, but as he was about to start, he still felt something was off and looked at Mr. Tu suspiciously:
"Once I finish drawing the arrays, you won't turn on me and take my life, right?"
Mr. Tu was inwardly angry, cursing this boy for being overly cautious.
But given the circumstances, he could only continue to persuade him:
"Don't worry. Your identity is special and you are of great use to the Divine Lord. I won't kill you. If you draw the arrays well, it will be a great service, and the Divine Lord will remember your contributions and won't mistreat you..."
After much persuasion, Mr. Tu finally convinced Mo Hua to draw the arrays.
Mo Hua finally started, but after a few strokes, he stopped and shook his head:
"Still not right."
This time, Mr. Tu couldn't take it anymore and asked angrily, "What's wrong now?"
Mo Hua pointed to the White Bone Headband on his head, his expression a mix of grievance and helplessness, "My divine perception is sealed by you, I won't be able to draw the arrays..."
Mr. Tu was taken aback, finally remembering that this boy's sea of consciousness was sealed by the holy artifact of the Great Wasteland.
With his sea of consciousness sealed, he couldn't communicate with divine beings, and his divine perception was limited, making it impossible for him to draw arrays.
But... if he unsealed it...
Mr. Tu felt uneasy.
After a moment of hesitation, he decided to prioritize the grand array and extended his pale finger, touching Mo Hua's forehead. Blood threads seeped into the white bone headband, unsealing Mo Hua's divine perception.
In that instant, Mo Hua's mind became clear, and a sharp light flashed in his clear eyes before gradually fading.
Mr. Tu was slightly disturbed, but upon closer inspection, he didn't detect anything amiss with Mo Hua, so he said:
"Can you do it now?"
Mo Hua nodded, "No problem."
"Start drawing the arrays."
"Okay."
Mo Hua picked up a brush, dipped it in spirit ink, and began drawing the arrays on the cliff, following the array diagram in the Yu Jian.
With his expertise in arrays, he could grasp the essence of these basic arrays at a glance, requiring no further explanation from Mr. Tu.
Mr. Tu wasn't surprised; this was the expected level of a Zhen Dao Kui Shou.
Mo Hua drew the arrays quickly.
With the array diagrams firmly in his mind, his brush moved like clouds and flowed like water, and the array patterns he drew were not only precise but also carried a touch of mastery.
But Mr. Tu still frowned.
He knew Mo Hua could actually draw even faster.
The boy was deliberately holding back, not giving his all, clearly not fully committed to drawing the arrays for him...
Mr. Tu's gaze sharpened, but he said nothing.
So, Mo Hua drew arrays for a good half day until evening, when his divine perception was truly exhausted. Mr. Tu then allowed Mo Hua to rest.
He still kept Mo Hua in the Great Wasteland Prison and resealed his sea of consciousness with the white bone holy artifact to prevent Mo Hua from doing anything on his own that might invoke divine power and cause trouble.
Mo Hua maintained his usual earnest demeanor.
After resting for a night in the Great Wasteland Prison, the next day, Mr. Tu brought him back to the foundation of the Blood Sacrifice Array to continue drawing the basic array formations.
Mo Hua continued to draw the formations with his brush and ink, methodically and at the same speed as the previous day.
After a full day of work, he was sealed in his Sea of Consciousness and returned to the prison.
The third day, he continued in the same manner.
But Mr. Tu couldn't help but feel frustrated.
Although Mo Hua drew the formations quickly and produced a significant amount, compared to the grand scale of the Blood Sacrifice Array, it was like a drop in the ocean. This was far from meeting Mr. Tu's "expectations."
Mr. Tu's expression turned cold as he asked Mo Hua, "You can draw formations faster than this, can't you?"
Mo Hua maintained a serious face, "I've always drawn formations at this speed. I'm already doing my best..."
This blatant lie made Mr. Tu's eyelid twitch.
"Don't lie to me", Mr. Tu sneered. "I was at the Qianxue Zhen Dao Conference and saw you draw formations with my own eyes."
Mo Hua, realizing his lie had been exposed, turned pale and pursed his lips, remaining silent.
Mr. Tu's gaze sharpened. He thought to himself that this boy was indeed crafty and had a thick skin. Deceiving him into drawing the formations would not be easy.
Dealing with such a genius, it was better to offer incentives rather than threats...
After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Tu said, "If you complete all the formations on this wall, I will personally teach you how to draw the core array hub of the Blood Sacrifice Array."
"Core array hub?!"
Mo Hua was taken aback, his eyes shining brightly as he asked, "Are you really going to teach me?"
Mr. Tu nodded, "I will not go back on my word. Once you finish the formations on this wall, I will teach you."
Mo Hua clenched his teeth, his inner struggle evident. However, his desire for the array formation seemed to outweigh his rationality. He finally nodded and said, "Alright, it's a deal!"
Mr. Tu nodded, his gaze cold but inwardly pleased.
Under Mr. Tu's layers of "enticement", Mo Hua finally took the bait.
With the "core array hub" as the lure, Mo Hua no longer held back and began to work with all his might, fully focused.
He discarded the brush in his hand, arranged all the spirit ink on the ground, and then sat cross-legged. His expression turned solemn, and his entire demeanor became profound.
A vast and profound divine perception radiated from Mo Hua's body.
The spirit ink in the bottles, influenced by Mo Hua's divine perception, trembled and boiled, merging with his powerful divine perception. Then, like fine threads, they rose into the air, dancing gracefully.
Mo Hua's eyes gleamed with determination as he pointed forward.
The chaotic threads of spirit ink, under Mo Hua's command, came to life, like serpents, instantly darting forward and weaving intricate patterns in the air. They moved swiftly and with a divine structure, forming array formations on the stone wall in a well-ordered manner.
Mo Hua's divine perception flowed like a river.
But his speed of drawing formations was more than ten times faster.
Mr. Tu watched from the side.
This was not the first time he had seen such a scene. Previously, through the Square Heaven Shadow Painting, he had only seen a shadowy version, which, though shocking, was not entirely clear.
But now, witnessing it firsthand, the impact and the awe he felt were truly indescribable.
Could there really be someone in this world who could draw formations in such a manner?
Mr. Tu's pupils dilated.
Using divine perception to control ink was a skill Mr. Tu, who had attained Feather Transformation, could also perform, but he could never achieve the level of precision, finesse, and fluidity that Mo Hua displayed.
Moreover, Mo Hua was drawing high-level second-rank formations.
This was even more astounding.
Formations of the same level were difficult to learn and draw. Even experienced array masters, using array brushes to enhance their abilities, found it challenging. Drawing formations without a brush, directly using divine perception, was almost unimaginable.
Drawing formations on the ground was even more rare.
This required special opportunities and a profound understanding of the essence of the earth.
Understanding such things was a matter of intuition.
If one had the insight, they could grasp it; if not, no amount of learning, practice, or cultivation would help.
Even if Mo Hua had received the favor of a divine being and harnessed the divine power to achieve such remarkable array skills, his innate talent and intuition for array formations were still extremely impressive.
If such a prodigy could be brought under his control, guided toward the path of evil array master, and blessed by the Lord of the Great Wasteland, just how powerful his array skills could become was beyond imagination...
Mr. Tu's gaze trembled.
Mo Hua remained fully focused, manipulating the spirit ink like tentacles, drawing formations with all his might.
With a clear goal, he found more motivation and drew even faster.
When he grew tired, he would rest to recover his divine perception and then continue drawing.
He continued working until nightfall.
Inside the Blood Sacrifice Array, the atmosphere was blood-soaked and gloomy, making it hard to distinguish day from night. But as a cultivator, Mo Hua could still sense the presence of the sun and moon.
By evening, Mo Hua was supposed to return to the prison.
But Mo Hua was reluctant to leave. He asked Mr. Tu, "Can I stay here and continue drawing formations?"
Mr. Tu's eyebrows twitched, "You... don't need to rest?"
Mo Hua nodded, "I want to work hard and finish the formations sooner."
Since Mo Hua had said this, Mr. Tu couldn't refuse.
So Mo Hua stayed, working day and night on the Heavenly Wasteland Blood Sacrifice Array...
Mr. Tu watched Mo Hua with a profound gaze, increasingly astonished.
With his strong talent, high intuition, divine favor, dedication to array formations, and such unwavering diligence, working day and night without rest...
His array skills were far superior to others, and he was even more diligent.
No wonder his array skills were so exceptional.
He truly was an incomprehensible "array monster"...
(End of Chapter)
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