Chapter 182: Constructing Arrays (Part Five)
Chapter 182: Constructing Arrays (Part Five)
It wasn't entirely his fault for misjudging; this situation was just too unusual.
Master Ban consoled himself silently.
After all, in all his years, he had mostly interacted with white-haired array masters, and he had never before encountered a young array master, barely in their teens, who could draw arrays for such a large-scale artifact refining endeavor.
Master Ban couldn't help but be amazed.
Now that they had an array master, Master Ban also breathed a sigh of relief. With nothing else to do, he stood alongside Elder Yu behind Mo Hua, craning his neck to watch as the young boy drew the array.
Seeing Master Ban's intense focus, Elder Yu asked in a soft voice, "Can you understand it?"
Master Ban shook his head. "No. Can you?" he asked in return.
Elder Yu also shook his head. "I can't either. What are you looking at, then?"
"Well, aren't you also watching even though you don't understand it?" Master Ban replied.
Elder Yu smiled awkwardly. "I'm just curious, so I'm watching from the side."
Master Ban thought to himself, "I've never seen such a young child drawing arrays before; I'm even more curious than you are."
Master Ban glanced at Mo Hua and then at the array he had drawn. In a soft voice, he asked, "What grade are these arrays?"
Elder Yu wasn't entirely sure either, and he could only guess based on the quality of Mo Hua's arrays. "First-grade, perhaps."
Master Ban was startled, exclaiming in a hushed tone, "Ah?"
Elder Yu glanced at him reproachfully and shushed him. "Keep your voice down. Don't disturb him while he's drawing the array."
Master Ban lowered his voice even further. "How can it be first-grade?"
"First-grade array?"
Master Ban shook his head repeatedly. "Impossible!"
"Never mind if you don't believe it," Elder Yu said, sounding indifferent.
Master Ban truly didn't believe it, but he felt that Elder Yu had no reason to deceive him. After thinking about it for a while, he could only stare intently at the arrays that Mo Hua was drawing.
Although he didn't understand arrays, he could still count the array lines.
One, two... five. This one only had five array lines.
One, two, three... seven. This one had seven lines.
Master Ban's emotions suddenly became complex. A cultivator in his early teens who could draw seven array lines was already on par with the average array master.
He had unintentionally said "only" seven lines, and he felt ashamed of his lack of knowledge...
Master Ban continued counting.
Finally, in a single array that Mo Hua completed, he counted nine array lines!
Nine lines meant a first-grade array! Master Ban was deeply shocked.
"Could it really be a first-grade array?"
Elder Yu saw his astonished expression and felt a surge of satisfaction. When he had first heard that Mo Hua could draw first-grade arrays, he had also worn this same expression and tone. He guessed that Master Ban's thoughts were probably similar to his own.
Master Ban glanced at Elder Yu, his voice trembling slightly as he tried to keep his voice low. "Then, does that mean... this child is already... a first-grade array master?"
"He hasn't passed the official evaluation and grading by the Dao Court yet, so it doesn't count," Elder Yu said.
"Even so, it's still incredible..."
Master Ban shook his head, still finding it unbelievable.
Now, as he watched Mo Hua drawing the arrays, his admiration was mixed with a hint of reverence.
This was a first-grade array, and in his entire life, he had only met a handful of array masters capable of creating such arrays.
Master Ban leaned forward again, examining the array on the foundation stone, and couldn't help but praise,
"This array is truly well-drawn!"
Elder Yu said, "I thought you didn't understand arrays?"
"I don't need to understand!" Master Ban waved his hand. "This array is drawn with such precision and beauty, it's like it was carved from a mold. I've never seen such exquisite brushwork in an array before in my entire life!"
Elder Yu was pleased that Mo Hua was being praised, but he remained humble on the surface. "Where, where. He's still a child, and he has a lot more to learn."
Elder Yu immediately stepped forward, his face softening as he asked gently, "Are you tired?"
This was the first time Master Ban had ever seen such a "gentle" expression on Elder Yu's face.
In all the years he had known Elder Yu, he had always thought of him as bad-tempered, grumpy, stubborn, and prone to scolding others.
But at this moment, Elder Yu looked like a "kind" old grandfather...
It was as if he had become an entirely different person.
Master Ban was truly amazed.
Mo Hua was indeed a bit tired. Drawing arrays on various large construction materials consumed a significant amount of spiritual and mental energy, but it was still within his expectations.
"I'm fine. I just need to meditate and rest for a bit," Mo Hua replied. In truth, he intended to use his meditation technique to restore his mental energy.
"Alright, take a break. There's no rush," Elder Yu said kindly, not wanting to disturb Mo Hua. Instead, he examined the array Mo Hua had just completed, thinking to himself that Master Ban's words were indeed true—the array was both neat and beautiful.
However, Master Ban suddenly became concerned when he heard Elder Yu's words.
Elder Yu might not be in a hurry, but he certainly was.
He pulled Elder Yu aside and asked quietly, "How many array masters did you invite?"
"What do you mean, 'How many array masters'?"
"Array masters for drawing the architectural arrays," Master Ban clarified.
Elder Yu was taken aback.
Master Ban paused, "You don't mean to tell me that it's just this one child, Mo Hua, right?"
Elder Yu hesitated for a moment as well, "One should be enough, shouldn't it...?"
Master Ban frowned slightly, "How could one be enough? There are so many arrays, how could a single child possibly draw them all? Even if he could, this project would take forever..."
With so many craftsmen relying on this project, how could they afford such a delay?
Elder Yu stroked his beard, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.
He hadn't given this matter much thought before. As long as the arrays were left to Mo Hua, he had always felt reassured.
Even if he didn't feel reassured, it wouldn't make a difference since he didn't understand arrays himself.
But Master Ban's words made sense. The architectural plans were filled with intricate arrays, and there were so many of them. He wondered if Mo Hua, a single child, would be able to complete them all.
What if Mo Hua overtaxed himself by drawing too many arrays and ended up damaging his sea of consciousness?
Elder Yu felt a twinge of worry. While the construction of the refinery could afford to be delayed, Mo Hua's well-being was paramount.
However, Elder Yu's concerns were momentarily assuaged as he recalled that Mo Hua usually considered all aspects related to arrays very carefully. If Mo Hua hadn't mentioned any issues, then perhaps there weren't any.
Elder Yu asked Master Ban, "Usually, how many array masters would it take to complete this many arrays?"
"At least five or six, maybe even ten," Master Ban replied.
Elder Yu was shocked, "That many?"
Master Ban shot him a look, "What did you expect? Architectural arrays are intricate and require a vast number of array patterns. How could one or two array masters possibly handle all of that?"
Elder Yu's face reddened, but fortunately, his dark complexion hid it well.
He really hadn't considered this before.
In the past, the demon hunters had been poor, and they didn't have the luxury of spirit stones to build such a large-scale refinery. They were content with having a few rooms, and arrays weren't a necessity. Now, with their newfound wealth, they wanted to build a proper refinery to improve the lives of the lower-level cultivators. Elder Yu was just realizing how challenging architectural arrays could be.
If not for Mo Hua, they would have had to spend a fortune on array masters.
Elder Yu made a mental note to allocate a larger share of spirit stones to Mo Hua once the refinery and the pill refinery were completed and generating profits.
(End of Chapter)
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